Photo: iHeartMedia
Former Connecticut Huskies shooting guard Azzi Fudd was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA Draft Monday (April 13) night.
Fudd, 23, the host of iHeartMedia's Fudd Around And Find Out podcast, averaged a career-best 17.3 points, 3.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds during the 2025-26 season, having been selected as a first-team All-American by both the Associated Press and USBWA, as well as a first-team All-Big East selection for the second consecutive year. The Virginia native will be reunited with her girlfriend and former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, who was selected by the Wings at No. 1 overall during the 2025 WNBA Draft and went on to win the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
"I am excited to play again with Paige, incredible player, incredible person," Fudd told ESPN's Holly Rowe after being drafted during the live broadcast.
Fudd is the seventh UConn player to be selected No. 1 overall following Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. The Huskies, who won the NCAA women's basketball national championship in 2025, were eliminated by South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament semifinals earlier this month.
"Not how we wanted to end our season, but I think the biggest takeaway was how incredible my five years have been," Fudd said via USA TODAY. "Being able to learn from that, being able to take all those experiences — the wins, the losses, the hard practices, the everything, the good, the bad — you can grow from that.
"All those habits, that championship, that winning mentality, I have to be able to bring those with me."
Fudd launched her Fudd Around And Find Out podcast in partnership with the iHeartRadio Women's Sports Audio Network last August, getting the title from a t-shirt her mother wore to the NCAA Tournament.
"This podcast is a space where I can bring my full self, athlete, storyteller, budding entrepreneur, and a fan of the game, and highlight the voices that deserve to be heard," she said in a press release.
This story is brought to you by the Women's Sports Audio Network (WSAN). WSAN is the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to women's sports. WSAN celebrates female athletes and gives an in-depth look into their personal experiences in and out of their respective sports. Check out more on the WSAN site.