DALLAS — When Azzi Fudd was ruled out for the season with a right knee injury last month, some saw it as their “gotcha” moment.
A segment of women’s basketball fans and commentators have questioned Fudd’s legitimacy since April, when the Dallas Wings drafted her No. 1 overall.
First, the public speculated if Fudd’s relationship with Wings teammate Paige Bueckers influenced Dallas’ decision. Then, No. 2 pick Olivia Miles started to show out for the Minnesota Lynx.
And unfortunately for Fudd, her right knee has continued to give her trouble, igniting discourse over whether the Wings took her injury history into consideration.
Fudd tore her right ACL and MCL in 2019 and her right ACL and medial meniscus in 2023. The guard recently underwent a season-ending arthroscopic procedure to address ongoing right knee soreness.
“Obviously not how I wanted my season to end,” Fudd said Tuesday after practice in Arlington during her final media availability of the season. “I was definitely a little frustrated at first, but I feel like I handled this one really well.”
In 30 games this season, Fudd averaged 13.1 points and 1.7 steals while shooting 39.7% from 3. Fudd’s 62 made 3-pointers are the most in team history for a first-year player. The 23-year-old became the first rookie in WNBA history to win the 3-point contest at WNBA All-Star weekend in July. She ranks in the top 5 in the league in steals.
“I feel like there’s things I could have done better,” Fudd said. “But I think I’m proud of how I handled it, how I adjusted. I’m proud of my defense. I’m proud of this team, and I’m really grateful to be here.”
Fudd helped the Wings (24-16) to their first playoff berth since 2023, but it’s TCU product Miles who’s become the front-runner for Rookie of the Year and an MVP candidate with averages of 19.7 points, 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
But the questions about whether the Wings made the right choice on draft day are coming from outside the house.
“She got picked No. 1 because I felt and our organization felt that she was going to be the best fit for not only our team, but our franchise,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said Tuesday after practice.
After last season’s 10-34 finish, the Wings needed to improve their 3-point shooting and defense. Fudd, who won a national championship alongside Bueckers in 2025, helped address both issues.
The Wings ranked second to last in 3-point shooting and defensive rating in 2025 and improved to eighth and fifth in the league, respectively, this season.
Dallas re-signed veteran Arike Ogunbowale, a ball dominant guard, in free agency and of course returned Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick who has also struggled with knee issues.
Miles, a ball dominant guard herself, might not have fit into that picture. The first-place Lynx (31-9), a veteran team led by four-time championship coach Cheryl Reeve, have been able to maximize Miles’ strengths.
This isn’t to say Dallas hasn’t been mindful of Fudd’s injury history or the fact she was coming off a long season at UConn, which made a run to the Final Four.
When she missed the Wings’ May 12 home opener at College Park Center, the team cited an abundance of caution. But Fudd, who played her last game Aug. 5 against the Washington Mystics, said she wasn’t concerned about starting her WNBA career almost immediately after the NCAA Tournament.
“I was doing everything I could to take care of my body, so obviously there was always a risk, but it’s not something I was really worried about or thinking about,” Fudd said.
Still, there was soreness.
“It came a little early,” Fudd said. “It went away. We handled it, and then it came back up and we tried to manage it, and it wasn’t manageable.”
There was no consensus No. 1 pick entering this year’s draft. While Fudd occupied the top spot in several mock drafts, so did Spanish center Awa Fam, who was picked third overall by the Seattle Storm.
Miles did not top a mock draft until right after the NCAA Tournament, when she replaced Fudd as ESPN’s projected No. 1. That lack of consensus has continued months after both rookies heard their names called.
But the choice was always clear for the Wings, who said they keyed in on Fudd right after winning the draft lottery. They seem to be ignoring the discourse, and so is Fudd.
“I think she’s a great player. She’s having a great season, and I had a great season,” Fudd said. “I’ll leave that to you guys to debate and discuss.”