Rebecca Lobo Notes Azzi Fudd's 'Phenomenal' Wings Fit After WNBA Draft Lottery Win

The Dallas Wings would make a lot of people happy if they took Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Feb 12, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) reacts after her three point basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Feb 12, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) reacts after her three point basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery has now come and gone, and the Dallas Wings secured the No. 1 pick in next year's draft. This marks the second straight season that Dallas will get the WNBA Draft's first choice, as they selected UConn Huskies superstar Paige Bueckers with the top pick last year.

That pick was an obvious one, and worked wonders for the Wings. Bueckers went on to be a WNBA All-Star, won the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, and appears poised to be one of the league's faces for years to come.

There isn't an obvious No. 1 pick for the 2026 WNBA Draft at this point. Many feel like UCLA center Lauren Betts should be the first player chosen, and a recent ESPN mock draft had Spanish center Awa Fam as that first pick.

Women's basketball icon Rebecca Lobo sees it differently. In a November 21 X post, Lobo wrote, "Azzi Fudd will be the top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft (assuming she stays healthy and current eligibility rules remain in the new CBA)."

Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) dribbles the ball on April 6, 2025
Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) dribbles the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Rebecca Lobo Shares Why Azzi Fudd Makes Sense for Wings After WNBA Draft Lottery

Of course, Fudd's relationship with Bueckers would make Dallas taking her with the No. 1 pick fascinating. Lobo also sees why Fudd would fit the Wings on the court, which she explained during a November 23 ESPN broadcast.

"First of all, I think the entire state of Connecticut and any UConn Husky fan across the country are thrilled with the notion that Azzi Fudd could potentially rejoin Paige Bueckers down in Dallas. And I do think she would be a phenomenal fit there," Lobo said.

"Just because we saw how good those two were together on the court over the past couple years. But to me, Azzi Fudd, because of her ability to score, and the way she can shoot; the Dallas team that was second to last a season ago, in terms of three-point field goal percentage. Right away, you can bring in an efficient scorer, and we already know those two, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, have an incredible connection."

There's no question that both Bueckers and Fudd will be asked about this No. 1 pick plenty in the months to come. While Dallas obviously isn't just going to select Fudd to appease their star player, the fact that this move would make sense on the court adds even more intrigue about what they'll do.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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