No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings is set for season-ending surgery on sore knee
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd is set for season-ending surgery on a sore knee that has sidelined this year’s No. 1 overall pick…
Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on her right knee, which has kept this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick sidelined for the past five games. The team announced on Wednesday that Fudd will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week in Connecticut, where she played college basketball at UConn before becoming the second consecutive top overall pick the Dallas franchise selected. Reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers was the top choice in the 2025 draft.
Fudd was gradually introduced to the lineup as a rookie, starting only in the final six games of the season. She scored a season-high 26 points in a victory over Seattle in June and averaged 13.1 points across 30 games. Fudd went through warmups prior to a home game against Golden State on August 7 but was benched "out of an abundance of caution," according to the organization.
Despite her continued soreness, Fudd's condition has worsened. Bueckers and Fudd were national champions together at UConn in 2025 before Bueckers was drafted by the Wings, who have bounced back to 3-8 since a six-game winning streak that marked the team's longest since moving to Texas a decade ago.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
