Dallas selects Azzi Fudd with No. 1 pick in WNBA draft
The former UConn guard will earn a record rookie salary under the league’s new labor deal, which raised first-year pay to $500,000.
- The Dallas Wings selected UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd first overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft, securing her with a $500,000 rookie contract.
- Ratified last month, the new collective bargaining agreement increased rookie compensation, establishing Fudd as the highest-paid WNBA rookie for 2026.
- Fudd's four-year deal guarantees $500,000 in Year 1, outpacing Minnesota's Olivia Miles at $466,913 and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers at $348,198 total.
- The selection reunites Fudd with former Huskies teammate Bueckers, forming a new backcourt partnership that Dallas fans celebrated at the draft announcement.
- WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert noted plans for exhibition or regular-season games overseas next year, signaling the league's continued global expansion efforts.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Dallas Wings select UConn's Azzi Fudd with first overall draft pick
Who is Azzi Fudd? The first No. 1 pick in WNBA history to sign league’s highest-ever rookie deal at $500K
International Sports News: Azzi Fudd makes history as the first overall pick in WNBA history to sign a record rookie deal worth $500,000, surpassing previous contracts and highlighting the league's significant salary growth.
Dallas selects Azzi Fudd with No. 1 pick in WNBA draft
Azzi Fudd is on her way to Dallas as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft with a $500,000 payday waiting for the former UConn star. A record-setting six UCLA players followed her into the league.Im not really sure I have words to describe that feeling, what that meant, Fudd said of getting drafted. I dont think its fully sunk in. It's nothing I could have imagined. The feeling of sitting with my family, with Morgan (Valley), hearing your name called…
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