In August of 2013, when Azzi Fudd was in middle school and Skylar Diggins was a rookie with the Tulsa Shock (now the Dallas Wings), Fudd posted a picture with Diggins to Instagram. "We were just at Notre Dame and saw Skylar Diggins… She is a great role model for us young basketball players!" Fudd wrote.
Nearly 13 years later, Fudd and Diggins met on the court for the first time on Wednesday, when the Wings, who selected Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick last month, beat the Chicago Sky, 99-89. Early in the fourth quarter, the two guards traded 3-pointers and spent time guarding each other.
"Yeah, it means I'm old," Diggins joked, when asked about the picture. "It's just amazing, it's a blessing to be around that long to see them into their WNBA seasons and this WNBA. The strides that this league has made and how it presents itself to them, there's a bright future ahead."
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Much like Diggins, the No. 3 pick in the vaunted 2013 draft, Fudd has entered the league with an immense amount of pressure and fanfare. Not only because of her college success at UConn, where she won a national title, was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament in 2025 and led the Huskies to three Final Fours, but because of her high-profile relationship with fellow UConn alum Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in 2025.
Fudd said the whirlwind transition from college to the pros – she was playing the Final Four with UConn less than two months ago – has been "crazy," but credits her teammates and the organization for making her feel "super welcomed" in Dallas, which she called her "second home already."
Her teammates, too, have been impressed with how she's handled everything. "She keeps the outside noise outside," Arike Ogunbowale said. "She knows what an asset she is to this team and how much we need her… She's a rookie, there's a lot on her, but she's taking it well."
But through four games, Fudd is averaging 8.8 points, one rebound, one assist and 0.8 steals – not the type of numbers typically associated with No. 1 picks. Why? And is there any concern in Dallas? Now that Fudd's professional career is two weeks old, let's take a closer look at the start of her WNBA journey.
Starting on the bench
The highly anticipated season opener between the Wings and Indiana Fever was billed as a battle of the last four No. 1 overall picks: Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Bueckers (2025) and Fudd (2026).
But when the Wings announced their starting lineup prior to the game, Fudd's name wasn't listed, which was a major surprise. No first overall pick had come off the bench in their debut since Kelsey Plum in 2017, and Wings general manager Curt Miller had tabbed Fudd as a starter during training camp.
New coach Jose Fernandez saw things differently, however, and started Odyssey Sims in the backcourt next to Bueckers and Ogunbowale. Fudd only played 18 minutes that afternoon in Indianapolis, and her three points were the fewest by a No. 1 pick in their first game since Janel McCarville in 2005 (two).
"It's [Fudd's] first year in the league. We got five really talented backcourt players," Fernandez said after the Wings' win over the Fever.
Fudd, who missed the Wings' second game due to a minor knee issue, has continued to come off the bench. Her minutes and production have steadily increased, however, and Fernandez has hinted at her joining the starting group at some point in the season.
"Is she capable of [starting]? Yes she is," Fernandez said back on May 11. "When it does happen, I think she'll be ready."
GameOpponentMinutesPoints4
Sky
28
12
3
24
12
2
20
8
1
Fever
18
3
'She's like a sponge'
Fudd was never going to immediately establish herself as an All-Star-level player like Clark and Bueckers did in recent years. At the same time, no one expected her to be coming off the bench, and that's led to plenty of chatter online and in the media.
Internally, though, the Wings have been thrilled.
"She's just a pleasure to be around," Fernandez said. "And from the work ethic standpoint, coming over from where she came from, there wasn't a doubt who she was gonna be."
Fudd is constantly asking questions and seeking out her veteran teammates for extra help after practice and shootaround. Sims and Alysha Clark, in particular, have been a strong resource for the rookie. "She's like a sponge," Sims said.
During the Wings' win over the Mystics earlier this week, Fudd had 12 points and three assists in her most productive game to date. But instead of celebrating her new career-highs, she went to Sims for some defensive advice. "She was a little frustrated because she felt like she got hit by every screen," Sims said. "And she was like, 'When you get a chance, can you work with me? I still want that one-on-one.'"
Fudd is so eager to learn that her teammates have started pre-empting her questions. "They can see the wheels turning in my head," Fudd said, adding that she's "so fortunate to be on this team and have so many vets and experienced players to look up to, to pick their brains, to hear from."
'She doesn't really miss'
Fudd is one of the best pure shooting prospects to ever enter the WNBA. She shot 42.2% from 3-point range for her career at UConn, and made 44.7% of her 6.7 attempts per game in her final collegiate season. She has exquisite form, a lightning-quick release and a unique ability to shoot off the move.
Watching her in warm-ups is like watching a robot, and even during games, she has an innate ability to replicate her shot regardless of location or defensive pressure.
To no surprise, Fudd's efficient shooting has translated to the pros. "She doesn't really miss," Sims said. Through four games, Fudd is 15 of 24 from the field on almost entirely jumpers, and boasts 62.5/42.9/100 shooting splits.
What has been a bit surprising, though, is that Fudd has only taken seven 3-point attempts. Opponents have made a concerted effort to run her off the line, and Fudd has responded by knocking down a stream of mid-range jumpers. Already, she's 8 of 12 on off-the-dribble 2-pointers, which is an extremely encouraging sign of development.
"I think a lot of people really focus on the data and it's like, 'layups and 3s, mid-range is not efficient enough,'" Fudd said. But [it's a good shot] if you know that's your game, if that's what you work on, if that's what you're confident in."
"I think a lot of people aren't ready for that. It's hard to guard if you've got a good pull-up," she continued.
As expected, given her skillset and the Wings' backcourt depth, Fudd has primarily been a perimeter scorer thus far. She doesn't get many on-ball reps, or many touches at all. Her 13.9% usage rate ranks ninth on the team, ahead of only Awak Kuier and Alysha Clark. When Fudd does get the ball, she has rarely looked to get to the basket. She's only taken three attempts at the rim so far – two of which came off cuts – and gotten to the line for just two free throws. And that was after being fouled shooting a jumper.
Even with limited opportunities, Fudd's impact has been obvious. In 90 minutes with Fudd on the floor, the Wings have an absurd 127.3 offensive rating, and in 110 minutes with Fudd off the floor their offensive rating plummets to 100.5.
The threat she provides is "self explanatory," Sky coach Tyler Marsh said. "She can really shoot the ball."
'She's gonna be really good in this league'
If Fudd had gone elsewhere in the draft, she might be starting, playing 30 minutes a night and taking dozens of shots. None of that is happening in Dallas, at least not yet, but she has no complaints.
"You don't get to choose where you're drafted, but I'm so grateful to have been drafted here in a place where people really want to see everyone around them grow and get better," Fudd said.
In Dallas and elsewhere, there is confidence that some short-term pain in terms of playing time and production will pay off in the long run as Fudd continues to learn from a veteran team that is off to a 3-2 start and hopes to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
"I've already seen the improvement from Day One until now," Sims said. I literally told her 'You look amazing. Keep it going." Ogunbowale concurred, saying Fudd is "gonna be really good in this league," while Marsh called Fudd "one of the bright ones."
Fudd isn't putting up big numbers yet, but it's only a matter of time.
"We've just been continuing to talk to her," Sims said. "Like, it's OK, just breathe, play basketball. We know what you can do. We're ready for the 20, 30-point game to come because it's near, for sure."
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