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Whereas there was by no means a consensus No. 1 decide within the public eye, the Dallas Wings all the time had their sights set on Azzi Fudd. As draft night time unfolded, the Wings held their floor, choosing back-to-back gamers for the second consecutive time. Outlined by her 3-point prowess, GM Curt Miller and head coach Jose Fernandez element why Fudd was the clear selection all alongside.
With the primary decide within the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings choose…. Azzi Fudd.
Since relocating from Tulsa to Dallas in 2016, the franchise has skilled highs and lows, housing outstanding names similar to Allisha Grey, Satou Sabally, Skylar Diggins, Natasha Howard, and Marina Mabrey. Previously the Detroit Shock and Tulsa Shock, the Wings have not gained a championship within the decade since their migration to the Southwest.
Apart from 4 first-round exits, the closest factor to a trophy the Wings have witnessed was a semifinals 3-0 sequence loss in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. Underneath the brand new period of Miller and Fernandez, there is a sense of urgency to win, consciousness, and monetary funding that is been poured into the franchise.
“The tens of millions of {dollars} of funding from final 12 months to this 12 months that this group has carried out, our possession group ought to increase their fingers that we have gotten one of many ‘Joneses’ of the league”, mentioned Miller. “The phrase is getting out, and Dallas is right here to be a participant like the large franchises which have gotten that popularity earlier than.”
Over the past six years, the group has undergone a number of teaching modifications: Brian Agler, Vickie Johnson, Latricia Trammell, and Chris Koclanes. Arike Ogunbowale arrived because the franchise cornerstone in 2019 and has stayed dedicated to the inexperienced, cyan, and blue. The final two seasons have been turbulent to say the least, because the roaring winds culminated in a 19-65 file since 2024.
Whereas Trammell’s departure was questionable, it is evident that the franchise is dedicated to rebuilding and redefining Dallas’s place within the WNBA. By drafting Paige Bueckers No. 1 general in 2025, the Wings landed their future franchise star. Then got here head coach Jose Fernandez, who had beforehand served because the College of South Florida girls’s basketball crew’s head coach.
Azzi Fudd taking photos together with her new #35 Dallas Wings jersey after finishing her introductory press convention. pic.twitter.com/ImjscjbsXt
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) April 16, 2026
Free Company Solidified Drafting Fudd
So, what led to the choice of Fudd?
Miller and Fernandez have constructed a kinship, one which’s led them to scout across the globe and make tons of of cellphone calls per day. Their persistent efforts to revive this roster have been relentless. Due to the collaborative efforts, particularly financially, Dallas reaped the advantages of free company, and so did the gamers.
“We set out on a plan to be deliberate, thorough, with intention on evaluating the place we received to in the end, in selecting Azzi Fudd,” mentioned Miller on draft night time. “We traveled everywhere in the world watching this unimaginable draft class, nevertheless it all got here again, all the time to Azzi.”
The Wings stayed aggressive, bolstering its frontcourt by signing former Lynx gamers Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith. By securing Ogunbowale to a multi-year deal, the No. 1 decide grew clearer. Awa Fam and Lauren Betts have been sturdy choices for Dallas, however they solved their shortcomings in free company.
“Clearly, we had an impressive free company within the submit,” mentioned Miller. “I’ll inform you that Azzi was our decide, is our decide, however the free company success within the submit made it crystal clear.”
Heading into Monday’s draft, the Wings fashioned a powerful quartet that features Ogunbowale, Bueckers, Smith, and Shepard. Fernandez admitted the scouting course of for each free company and the draft started two weeks after his hiring in late November.
“It is an thrilling time,” mentioned Fernandez at Fudd’s introductory presser on Thursday, “Final week with the enlargement draft, the work that this entrance workplace and Greg [Bibb] did in free company, culminating on Monday night time. We get who we needed.”
Fernandez detailed his endeavors to hit the bottom working early on. As soon as employed, his first cease was to Storrs, Connecticut.
“After I received employed, the primary journey that I took was Storrs for 3, 4 days,” mentioned Fernandez on draft night time. “Sit down, discuss to Geno (Auriemma), and actually get a full glimpse on Azzi straight away.”
Fernandez gleaned as he continued to look at Fudd in Huge East video games and the NCAA Event. Though the match wasn’t as type to Fudd, Fernandez and the Wings “by no means wavered” from their crew wants.
What Dallas Valued the Most
For the Wings, it begins with basketball, however that wasn’t the only consider selecting the previous UConn star. Miller had nothing however reward, described Fudd as a winner, competitor, and hard-worker, who has proven unimaginable perseverance following accidents. An unselfish participant, Fudd has the defensive intelligence and “lightning-quick launch” the Wings search in a participant.
Above all, it was the intangibles that offered the Wings on No. 35. Each Miller and Fernandez lauded Fudd’s potential so as to add to the crew’s tradition, describing her because the “proper match for this crew.” She’s a winner who has a fantastic locker room presence.
“She’s a winner, she’s a extremely onerous employee, she places time into her craft,” mentioned Miller. “She’s aggressive, however she’s an unimaginable teammate together with her unselfishness… it is the intangibles which might be separators for us. We by no means wavered throughout free company and now into the draft, that you just win first within the locker room, and we’ve crammed that locker room out with a few of the most unimaginable character gamers which might be on this league.”
Fernandez was fast to level out simply how necessary these intangibles are, particularly in a No. 1 decide.
“She needs to be nice, and the nice one wish to be coached and wish to be advised the reality. She has unimaginable work ethic. She does issues exterior of the required occasions that she did in school, and that is why she’s particular.”
Tradition is a Precedence
Courting again to 2025, Miller addressed the significance of tradition and the locker room.
“At the beginning, it is all the time going to be tradition for us,” mentioned Miller. “It should be including nice folks. I feel folks wins over expertise any day. Chris and I’ve been a part of a whole lot of profitable groups within the WNBA, and we actually consider that began all the time within the locker room.”
Whereas Koclanes is now not within the image, Miller has honored his phrase in his additional growth and blueprint of the Wings. Fudd brings synergy with Bueckers, whom she gained a nationwide championship at UConn in 2025 and spent 4 years in Storrs. Though each have been hampered by accidents, they have already got established chemistry over 49 video games.
Miller additional elaborated that the choice was a collaborative effort. Consulting each Bueckers and Ogunbowale by the free company and draft course of, there have been 4 clear prospects who separated themselves from the remaining. Whereas Miller did not specify, Fudd, Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles, and Awa Fam have been all amongst widespread conversations for the highest decide. Miller emphasised {that a} partnership together with his star gamers is essential.
A Lineup That is Versatile
Whereas the intangibles are what in the end satisfied the entrance workplace, Fudd’s playstyle, and construct, is smart for the present lineup. Solidifying the frontcourt with Shepard and Smith will solely create area and alternatives. Fernandez made a wonderful level—groups can be pressured to protect the Wings.
“We would have liked to handle 3-point capturing, perimeter capturing, and the ground being spaced,” Fernandez advised the media on Monday. “Having Paige, Arike, and Azzi on the ground collectively, and what we addressed in free company with our entrance line–there’s undoubtedly totally different lineups we will play.”
Fernandez particularly referenced Fudd’s potential to assault in transition, and the limitless actions that the crew can run within the halfcourt. Fudd is a perennial shooter, however a big a part of her success is her fast launch and her potential to get open off flare, pindown, and stagger screens, simply to call a couple of. Though she will enhance on her shot creation, a three-guard lineup may very well be a mismatch headache for any crew.
The potential of Smith/Shepard pick-and-rolls with Bueckers may open up much-needed spacing alongside the perimeter. As Miller mentioned, “it is gonna take just a little little bit of time for Jose to work his magic,” however this crew has some sturdy, versatile gamers not solely on either side of the ball, however gamers who’re threats on the perimeter.
“Whenever you have a look at this roster and also you have a look at Paige, Arike, Azzi, Aziaha (James), Maddy (Siegrist), and the frontline, we’re robust to protect,” mentioned Fernandez. “The identical means most likely some persons are involved on how we will play defensively, persons are going to have to protect us as properly.”
It was a dreadful season on each ends for Dallas in 2025, who ranked No. 9 in offensive ranking final season (101.6), averaged 81.7 factors, and shot 30.4% from past the mark, marking the second-lowest share within the league. Fudd alone brings spacing, and what the crew wants—perimeter capturing and protection.
What Azzi Fudd Brings to the Dallas Wings
Though coaching camp is but to formally happen, Fernandez analyzed how deadly this crew will be. Each Ogunbowale and Bueckers will maintain on ball duties, leaving Fudd as a major off-ball choice. In 39 video games, the Arlington native shot a career-best 48.1% from the sector, 95.5% from the free throw line, and 44.7% from past the arc her senior season. In her final tour at UConn, she tallied a career-best 17.3 factors, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a pair of.5 steals.
These statistics make her one of many harmful perimeter threats within the league, which is strictly what the Wings lacked.
Fudd possesses a ton of expertise, and her potential to chop, play off-ball protection and swap on larger defenders makes her a flexible new weapon in Dallas’s arsenal. There was a major soar from the championship season to 2025–26, the place she recorded a career-best defensive ranking (72.3).
Legitimately suppose Azzi Fudd is likely to be the 2nd or third finest shooter on this planet
Mens or womens basketball
pic.twitter.com/mucB42PLzc
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) October 15, 2025
Fernandez is assured in his workers he is assembled, who makes a speciality of participant growth. The ceiling for Fudd would not cease right here, and he confirmed there’s room for development, notably as I discussed earlier than, creating off the bounce.
In her introductory presser, Fudd was centered on her senior season at UConn, however stayed within the current. Now the most recent member of the Dallas Wings, Fudd is ecstatic to affix the group. For anybody questioning the decide, Fudd’s resume speaks for itself. Via her perseverance, Fudd enters her skilled profession within the WNBA as a NCAA champion, AP First Staff All-American, NCAA Event Most Excellent Participant, and a two-time All-Huge East First Staff. In her time at Storrs, she gathered 1,678 whole factors and 292 3-pointers.
“I used to be going to land the place I used to be meant to be, whether or not that was right here with the Wings or in a special group,” mentioned Fudd. Wherever that appeared like, whoever that was with, I used to be gonna be grateful and I could not be happier with how that labored out and the place I’m now.”
Coaching camps will start this weekend, and the Wings open the preseason in opposition to Caitlin Clark and the Fever on April 30. Coincidentally, the 2 will face off for the season opener in Indiana on Sunday, Could 9.
Sara Jane Gamelli is the Managing Editor and Senior Workers Author at Ballislife.com, in addition to Director of Ballislife Bets. Observe her on X at @SaraJGamelli.
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