WNBA DRAFT

April 13, 2026

Azzi Fudd

Dallas Wings

Q. Azzi, you've been dreaming about this moment since you were a kid. All you've been through, what did it mean to finally hear your name called tonight?

AZZI FUDD: I'm not really sure I have words to describe that feeling, what that meant. I'm not sure. I don't think it's fully sunk in. I don't really have words. It's nothing I could have imagined, the feeling sitting there with my family, with Morgan [Valley], hearing your name called, being able to walk up there, it's such a surreal feeling. I'm so grateful.

Q. Azzi, you're in a pretty unique situation being a second-generation draftee. What were the conversations like with your mom coming into tonight? What does it mean to kind of carry on that legacy?

AZZI FUDD: I mean, they're so proud of me. You can see that, in how they show up for me every single game and how they're here. I mean, this weekend, you would have thought that my whole family was getting drafted, how invested they are in everything, which I'm so grateful for. But to be able to share this moment with her, with all of them, is super special. And I feel like the conversation has just been how much, how proud they are of me and how they want me to enjoy this moment and soak it all in. How I deserve it.

So, yeah, it's been my goal to just take it all in. It's been a whirlwind of a weekend. This weekend has felt like a week. I was talking about it yesterday and I was like, wait, that was only yesterday.

So just trying to like really soak it in, trying to journal, trying to remember everything I can, because I've gotten to meet some incredible people and got some incredible advice.

Q. You recently talked about your faith and recently getting baptized. I was just wondering what you think or what you're trying to get out of your faith and how you think it will help you in your WNBA journey?

AZZI FUDD: I mean, my faith has already helped me tremendously just this last year and a half. I think being able to be rooted in Christ and have that as my foundation, already I've seen a tremendous change in myself and just sense of peace and feeling lighter. Not having to hold things and carry everything on my own.

So I think just having that kind of foundation going into the W will only put me in a better position. Because I know change is going to hit me like a truck, things are going to be hard and I'm going to have to learn and I'm going to have to adjust and I'm looking forward to all of that, but being able to do that knowing that I'm not alone, and I'm not doing this by myself is definitely going to help me get through everything.

Q. You had an opportunity obviously to play with Paige [Bueckers] before you got to UConn. Eventually you got to play together at UConn, won a championship. How would you describe the kind of unique chemistry that you two have on the court?

AZZI FUDD: Yeah, I mean, Paige is an incredible player. Everybody knows that. She's somebody that makes playing basketball look easy. So I think just the prior experience, knowing how to play with her, play off of her, will only help going into this.

Q. How would you describe just the unique kind of chemistry you have?

AZZI FUDD: I was going to say our time at UConn felt like, I mean, it was just full of injury. Full of, like, either I was playing, she wasn't. She was playing, I wasn't. It wasn't until last year that we really got a chance to actually play together. And even then it wasn't a full season. So I feel like there's still so much left on the table. And so much unknown, just so much potential, not with just her, but the entire Dallas Wings roster.

I can't wait, obviously, to play with her again but to play with every single one of them.

Q. You are a three-time gold medalist at the youth international level. You're a national champion, number one overall pick now. What does young Azzi need to know that you now know is true?

AZZI FUDD: I don't know. Just to keep believing in myself. I wouldn't tell her anything different or change anything because everything young Azzi had to go through is what got me here. But I would just say, yeah, keep believing in myself. Keep doing exactly what I'm doing. Yeah, I guess that's it.

Q. When you think about the fit, I'm curious in terms of conversations you've had with Dallas and in your own estimation, there's so much talent, obviously, in this backcourt with you, with Paige, with Arike, how have they talked to you about sort of the way in which you guys fit together and how do you see kind of you guys working as a trio on the court?

AZZI FUDD: Yeah, they've been able to see my time at UConn, how I'm a team-mentality, "we" over "me" kind of player, and I'm going to do what the team needs and not anything less. So, they know what to expect from that aspect.

But I know how to play with great players. So I know how to space the floor. I know how to move without the ball. So I'm just excited to go in to learn, just the newness of the organization, the newness of the players, how to play off Arike and Maddy [Siegrist] and everyone else on the team. And I can't wait, especially you know getting to watch Arike and other players on the team I think it's going to be incredible to finally get there just to finally play with them.

Q. You've been here for a couple times before watching the draft. I'm guessing it didn't prepare you for that moment, from what it sounds like you're saying it was surreal and just didn't know what to expect, so to speak?

AZZI FUDD: Absolutely not. I thought that those experiences coming supporting other teammates would help with that, but it definitely doesn't. Being in that chair, waiting for your name to get called, you can't compare that feeling to anything.

Q. Obviously going from St. John's, playing high school basketball there, now the first-ever D.C.-area native to be picked No. 1 in the WNBA draft, when you hear those words, how does that make you feel? What does this moment mean to represent the DMV, St. John's, your family?

AZZI FUDD: I mean, it's incredible. DMV is who I am, where I'm from, helped develop me, raise me, get me to where I am. Just the competitiveness of the DMV is, I feel, like what started things for me.

To be here with Kiki, another DMV native, is incredible. We used to play each other in state championship games. Now we're in the same draft class. I got to cheer her on while she was getting drafted. It's just a full-circle moment to be here, especially with her, and it's incredible. I'm so grateful.