Azzi Fudd goes first as WNBA draft highlights rising salaries and a strong college talent pipeline
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Apr 15, 2026, 02:09 IST
Azzi Fudd goes first as WNBA draft highlights rising salaries and a strong college talent pipeline
The Dallas Wings selected Azzi Fudd as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, marking a major moment under the league’s new pay structure. Fudd will earn a rookie salary of around $500,000, one of the highest ever, and reunite with former UConn Huskies women's basketball teammate Paige Bueckers in Dallas. Olivia Miles went second to Minnesota, while international prospect Awa Fam Thiam was picked third. Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez highlighted a strong showing from UCLA Bruins women's basketball, which had six players drafted. Kiki Rice was selected sixth, becoming the first pick for Toronto’s expansion team. Fudd also made history alongside her mother, Katie Smrcka-Duffy, as a rare drafted mother-daughter duo. The draft reflected the WNBA’s rapid growth, with higher salaries, global talent and stronger college pipelines shaping the league’s future.
The Dallas Wings made one of the best decisions at the WNBA draft by selecting Azzi Fudd as the No. 1 overall draft pick. Azzi will now head to Dallas with a massive $500,000 rookie salary which is seven times higher than the previous years. The former UConn Huskies shooting guard became one of the highest-paid rookies ever after the league’s new pay rules kicked in this year. Fudd is set to reunite with her former college teammate Paige Bueckers, who was also picked first by Dallas during last year’s draft. The two already have strong chemistry from their UConn days, and the Wings are clearly building around that connection. “I’m not really sure I have words to describe that feeling,” Fudd said after getting picked no.1.
The draft also served as a huge moment for the UCLA Bruins women's basketball, as they saw six of their players get selected. UCLA seniors Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez both went in the top five, just days after helping UCLA lift its first NCAA title. Their teammate Kiki Rice was picked sixth, and was also the first-ever player selected for Toronto’s new franchise.
Olivia Miles got drafted no. 2 and was chosen by Minnesota after delaying her draft entry last year to stay in college. Spain’s Awa Fam Thiam went third, making her one of the top international picks, while Betts followed at no.4 heading Washington Mystics.
The new pay structure made this draft even more important, with top picks earning far more than before. Even second- and third-round players will now make salaries that were once considered the league’s maximum.
Fudd also made history with her family on draft night as she and her mother, Katie Smrcka-Duffy, are the second mother and daughter duo to be drafted into the WNBA. Azzi Fudd's mother was drafted back in 2001 by the Sacramento Monarchs but did not play any games.
Overall, this draft showed how fast the WNBA is growing, with more money, more international players, and stronger college programs sending talent into the league.