At the WNBA draft last night, the Dallas Wings selected Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick, uniting Fudd with her girlfriend and former college teammate Paige Bueckers, whom the Wings selected with the first pick in last year’s draft.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
The other big headline: UCLA, the new national champs, had five players selected in the first round.
Also, our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down the NBA play-in tournament, which starts tonight. As always, check NBC News for more coverage.
WNBA Draft
Entering the WNBA draft, there seemed to be some mystery around whom the Dallas Wings would draft No. 1. Would they take Awa Fam Thiam, the super-skilled Spanish center? Or Olivia Miles, the crafty point guard who played at Notre Dame and TCU?
Or Azzi Fudd, the sharpshooting guard from UConn, who had a connection with Paige Bueckers, the Wings’ star player? In the end, maybe the choice was obvious.
“Paige is an incredible player,” Fudd said, after being drafted No. 1. “Everybody knows that. She’s someone that makes playing basketball with easy. I think just the prior experience, knowing how to play with her, play off of her, will only help going into this.”
At UConn, Fudd averaged 14.7 points per game and shot 42.2% from 3-point range. But both she and Bueckers battled injuries at various points. In their last season as teammates, in 2024-25, they won a national title. “I feel like there’s still so much left on the table,” Fudd said. “Just so much potential.”
Dallas will now be led by a trio of talented guards — Bueckers, Fudd and Arike Ogunbowale, who has averaged about 20 points per game over her WNBA career. “I know how to play with great players,” Fudd said. “I know how to space the floor. I know how to move without the ball.”
Fudd will also benefit from the freshly negotiated collective bargaining agreement. As the No. 1 pick, Fudd will earn $500,000 this season. Bueckers, last year’s top pick, made about $78,000 as a rookie. (For more on the new economics of the WNBA draft, be sure to check out this NBC News story.)
Later in the night, UCLA set a record for having five players selected in the first round. The Bruins accounted for 33% of the 15 first-round picks. They had three players taken consecutively from Nos. 4 through 6: Lauren Betts to the Washington Mystics, Gabriela Jaquez to the Chicago Sky, and Kiki Rice to the expansion Toronto Tempo.
The Mystics also picked UCLA’s Angela Dugalić at No. 9, pairing her with Betts, and the Connecticut Sun drafted Gianna Kneepkens at No. 15, only to take another Bruin, Charlisse Leger-Walker, a few spots after in the second round.
“I want to say I’m surprised, but I’m not,” Betts said. “Because I just know how talented all my teammates are.”
NBA Play-In Preview
The NBA Play-In Tournament tips off tonight, with four teams in each conference vying for the last two playoff spots on each side of the bracket. Let’s preview all the action.
No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic: Orlando fans are disappointed to see their team here because the Magic had high hopes headed into the season, after swinging a big trade for shooting guard Desmond Bane to bolster a young core. Though the Magic are on the road, they should be able to beat a Philly team that won’t have Joel Embiid, who recently underwent an emergency appendectomy. If Orlando loses and its playoff hopes come down to one game? It could be panic time.
No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs. No. 10 Miami Heat: Miami is the perennial Play-In champ, appearing in the tournament for the fourth straight season. The Heat have limped to the finish line this year, losing 10 of their last 15 games as their defense has cratered. The Hornets, on the other hand, have been one of the league’s pleasant surprises over the last couple of months. Eliminating an experienced Miami squad would be a nice step for Charlotte’s young core of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.
No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 8 Portland Blazers: Both Phoenix and Portland are teams that often struggle to score but make up for that with rugged defense, which means this game could very well be a rock fight. A key for the Suns will be keeping the Blazers’ Deni Avdija off the free-throw line. He averaged a career-best 24.2 points this season, while getting to the line 9.2 times a game. Expect the physical Dillon Brooks to take on that defensive matchup for Phoenix.
No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors: Look, neither of these teams is very good and neither appears ready to make some noise in the playoffs, especially an injury-depleted Golden State team. Don’t overthink this one, though. It’s Stephen Curry vs. Kawhi Leonard in a do-or-die game. Even if the stakes feel contrived, just enjoy watching two of the game’s greats go at it with a little something on the line, no matter how fleeting the feeling may be.
What We’re Reading
Dick Vitale announced he has been diagnosed with cancer for a fifth time.
UFC’s Daniel Rodriguez breaks his silence after spending time in a Mexican prison.
Luka Dončić is returning from Spain as the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Houston Rockets in the first round.
Tom Verducci at Sports Illustrated spots eight early effects of ABS.
Austin Reeves’ former high school teacher details how the Lakers’ star never wanted a backup plan.
Travis Hunter seems to have been caught off guard by reports that he’ll be a cornerback full-time.
What We’re Watching
The NBA Play-In Tournament starts tonight with lots at stake. In the early game, the Charlotte Hornets take on the Miami Heat. The winner will get one more chance to advance, and the loser goes home.
Later, the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trailblazers play for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2-seeded San Antonio Spurs.
All times are Eastern:
- 7:30 p.m.: No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs. No. 10 Miami Heat, on Amazon Prime
- 10 p.m.: No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 8 Portland Trailblazers, on Amazon Prime
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.