Azzi Fudd’s crowning hour finally arrived on Monday as she snagged that ceremonious No.1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft, but the spotlight quickly got a bit divided with her soon-to-be teammate’s interestingly. Fudd was picked by the Dallas Wings, overlooking the predicted No.1 projections like Olivia Miles, and boosting a Fudd-Paige Bueckers reunion at Arlington. Thus, when Fudd’s name went up, the camera suddenly zoomed in on her girlfriend Bueckers, whose reaction caught social media’s attention.

As Fudd was preparing to approach the stage after being picked by the Wings, the camera suddenly showed Bueckers, who was there to celebrate Fudd’s monumental day. Bueckers was beaming with pride and excitement as they reunited at the Dallas Wings. And a glimpse of it was quickly posted by SportsCenter’s X handle.

“Paige Bueckers’ reaction to Azzi Fudd getting drafted to the same WNBA team as her 🔥 Back-to-back No. 1 picks from UConn to Dallas!” the caption of the post read.

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Bueckers and Fudd’s association on the hardwood goes way back to their UConn days at Storrs. They dominated the backcourt together and even won a National Championship while being on the same team. The duo also shares a personal relationship beyond the court. And now with the band reunited, they will look to lead the Wings’ comeback from a dismal 10-34 last season.

Following her No.1 pick, Fudd reflected on reuniting with Bueckers, remarking that she’s overwhelmed to play alongside her. “Oh, for sure, I’m excited to play again with Paige,” Fudd said. “I mean, she’s an incredible person, incredible player, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The Bueckers-Fudd pairing isn’t just built on feel-good stories. And it’s something a professional team competing in the WNBA would even consider. The truth is, they have always complemented each other quite well. To understand their true significance, you’ll have to see the impact they had on the UConn team in the Championship-winning 2024-25 season, when they scored over 24 points per game.

As a result of these numbers, the duo has also received a green light from NBA veterans like Carmelo Anthony. “I would pair like Azzi and Paige,” Anthony said a few days back. “I would do that because it’s proven. It’s not like a one-and-done situation; it’s proven over four years.”

Besides the emotional perspective, Azzi Fudd brings a lot of skill sets to the table for the Wings. In her career season for the UConn Huskies in 2025-26, we’ve seen her prowess with a basketball on the hardwood. Even in the absence of her backcourt duo, Bueckers and Fudd scored north of 17 points per game. She scored at a staggering 48.1% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc.

Along with her precise scoring, Fudd is a seasoned leader. Of course, debates can go against her, as she got shut down in a high-pressure game against South Carolina in the March Madness Final Four, scoring just 3 of 15 from the field. But her overall season numbers truly reflect that it wasn’t a recurring incident, rather a one-off. But beyond all these debates, the Wings are quite secure in their No.1 pick.

Dallas Wings GM Decodes the Reason Behind the Azzi Fudd Pick

Ahead of the WNBA draft, the NCAA community had opined that the Dallas Wings need a big and physical player near the paint, not another guard like Azzi Fudd. It’s true: given that the Wings already have Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale on the roster, they had the leverage to strengthen their frontcourt with the No.1 pick in the draft.

But as reality set in, those opinions were the first thing to go out of the window. Wings general manager Curtis Miller emphasized that Fudd’s nature as a generous teammate and a killer on the court are among the factors that led the Wings not to look beyond Fudd in the draft.

“Azzi Fudd is one of the best shooters in our game today,” Miller said. “She has a lightning-quick release, and her movement off the ball is elite. She competes hard defensively and is an efficient, unselfish player who knows how to win. In an outstanding draft class, she stood out to us not only with her basketball skills but with her intangibles. She is a great teammate and has outstanding basketball IQ.”

Nevertheless, Fudd is a great addition to the Wings roster. But it will be interesting to see how head coach Jose Fernandez shapes his rotation for the season. With their franchise star Bueckers and a seven-figure re-signee Ogunbowale, Fudd will have to showcase her mettle early to establish a case for herself to play as a starter.

Dallas Wings’ official season tips off on May 9 against a stacked Indiana Fever. In the preseason, the Wings will face the Fever and the Las Vegas Aces on May 1 and 3, respectively. It will be in the initial games that we can see Fudd in a Dallas jersey for the first time. With just a few weeks before the proceedings start for the Dallas Wings, how excited are you to watch Fudd on this team? Do let us know in the comments.