Wings select UConn star Azzi Fudd No. 1 overall in WNBA draft

By Field Level Media

UConn guard Azzi Fudd was chosen by the Dallas Wings with the No. 1 overall pick of the WNBA draft on Monday night in New York.

Fudd is the seventh UConn player to be selected first in the draft. One of the others is Paige Bueckers, who went No. 1 to Dallas last year. Fudd and Bueckers are in a relationship and played together for four seasons with the Huskies.

“I’m excited to play again with Paige,” Fudd said on ESPN. “She’s an incredible person and an incredible player. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

UCLA set draft records with five first-round draft picks and six total players selected.

Lauren Betts went No. 4 to the Washington Mystics, Gabriela Jaquez was No. 5 to the Chicago Sky, Kiki Rice went sixth to the expansion Toronto Tempo, Angela Dugalic was chosen No. 9 by the Mystics and Gianna Kneepkens was the last pick of the 15-player round by the Connecticut Sun.

Charlisse Leger-Walker went in the second round (No. 18 overall) to the Sun to give UCLA the overall record. Four schools had five players selected — Tennessee in 1999 and 2008, Notre Dame in 2019 and South Carolina in 2023.

The 2002 draft saw UConn have four players picked in the first round — Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones and Tamika Williams.

Meanwhile, the 5-foot-11 Fudd helped UConn win the 2025 national title and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. She earned first-team All- American honors this season when she led the nation with 117 3-pointers and averaged 17.3 points.

The other UConn players to go No. 1 overall are Bird, Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011) and Breanna Stewart (2016).

TCU point guard Olivia Miles went second to the Minnesota Lynx, and Spanish center Awa Fam Thiam went No. 3 to the Seattle Storm.

The 5-foot-10 Miles earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors and was a second- team All-American this season. She averaged 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals.

Miles played four seasons for Notre Dame before playing her final campaign for the Horned Frogs. She doesn’t lack confidence.

“I think I have the highest IQ,” said Miles, “and my feel for the game is unmatched.”

Seattle went the potential route at No. 3 by selecting the 6-foot-4 Thiam, who turns 20 on June 17 and is a member of the Spanish national team.

“Being here in the ‘W’ has been my dream since I was 12 years old,” Thiam said. “I’m grateful. … I know I’m younger, I will be 20 years old, I want to do my best and learn more.”

UCLA stars Betts, Jaquez and Rice then went back-to-back-to-back at selections four through six.

“This is so special,” Rice said. “Everyone of is here deserves it so much. I’m so proud of this group because it put in so much work over the past few years.”

The 6-foot-7 Betts led UCLA to the national championship and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. She was a first-team All-American each of the past two seasons.

Betts averaged 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds this season and was Big Ten Player of the Year.

“I feel like I just play with joy,” Betts said. “This season has been so special, I enjoyed every second. I had the most amazing experience and I think you can see the positivity that I played with.”

Jaquez contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds in UCLA’s wipeout of South Carolina in the title game. She has a reputation of being a do-it-all-player.

“Just going into every game, doing whatever the team needs,” said Jaquez, the younger sister of the Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. “Every game will be different, but If I’m working hard and putting in all the effort, I’m happy to do that.”

Rice averaged career highs of 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds this season.

After Toronto’s pick, the expansion Portland Fire tabbed Spanish guard Iyana Martin Carrion at No. 7.

LSU shooting guard Flau’jae Johnson went No. 8 overall to the Golden State Valkyries. She found being selected as a surreal moment.

“When I was in high school, I wasn’t ranked,” Johnson said. “It took a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, tears and now I’m here at the draft. This is incredible to me.”

Washington picked Dugalic at No. 9 and Ole Miss forward Cotie McMahon at No. 11. In between the two picks, the Indiana Fever picked South Carolina guard Raven Johnson at No. 10.

At No. 12, Connecticut chose France forward Nell Angloma, followed by the Atlanta Dream choosing South Carolina center Madina Okot. Seattle selected Duke guard Taina Mair at No. 14 before the selection of Kneepkens wrapped up the first round.

Leger-Walker is the first New Zealander selected in the WNBA draft.

–Field Level Media