Azzi Fudd Season-Ending Knee Surgery Adds Layer to Olivia Miles Draft Debate

News broke on Wednesday that Dallas Wings star rookie Azzi Fudd will miss the rest of the 2026 season due to knee surgery.

The team announced that Fudd will undergo an arthroscopic procedure to address ongoing soreness in her right knee. This is the same knee that Fudd has torn her ACL in twice in her basketball career, once in high school and another during her junior season at UConn.

Azzi Fudd looks on during a Dallas Wings game. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

With Fudd now out for the rest of the season, there's no question that discourse around Dallas' decision to take her instead of Olivia Miles with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft will begin again.

This is fair discourse to have, especially because Fudd's injury history (especially concerning this right knee that she now needs surgery on) had to be weighed when Dallas was making this decision. And the fact that Miles is in the WNBA MVP conversation isn't going to bode well for anyone defending Fudd as the first pick.

But the bottom line is that both players have long careers ahead of them, and it's too soon to deem whether taking Fudd was a mistake.

Yet, nobody can deny that Miles is having a better start to her WNBA career.

Context to Azzi Fudd's Knee Issue

Fudd hasn't played since the Wings' August 5 game against the Connecticut Sun. Dallas head coach Jose Fernandez had said that Fudd was on track to return, and she was expected to make her return to the court either against the Indiana Fever on Thursday or the Seattle Storm on Sunday.

But there was clearly a setback regarding Fudd's recovery, or at least she wasn't progressing in the way that she or the Wings were hoping for.

It's definitely concerning to hear that Fudd will need another surgery. But it being arthroscopic (which is less intrusive) suggests that the star rookie isn't dealing with a major issue.

Still, this is a tough blow for a Wings squad that's reeling right now and could have used Fudd's contributions as it looks to right the ship in time for the postseason.

What Azzi Fudd Accomplished in Her Wings Rookie Season

Fudd's final rookie stats are 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range. During her time on the floor she proved she will at the very least be a strong defender and an elite three-point shooter.

Perhaps the brightest point of her rookie campaign came when she won the WNBA three-point contest last month. In doing so, she became the first rookie to win the event in league history.

Add us as a preferred source on Google