There have been a lot of narratives swirling around the Dallas Wings' decision to draft Azzi Fudd as the No. 1 overall pick this year, and the most important one is that Fudd earned the distinction. While some have pored over her personal life and pointed toward her relationship with Paige Bueckers as part of the reason the Wings pursued her, the team's GM Curt Miller has finally put that narrative — and others — to rest.
As Miller told the Dallas News this week, the biggest reason the team wanted to draft Fudd is that she's from UConn, and you can count on former Huskies to play well.
“You look around at the success of UConn players in our league, what we say all the time is that they know how to play the right way,’’ Miller told the outlet. “They know the non-negotiables in our locker room, that you don’t coach effort, you don’t teach effort. Just really, really excited about our young pieces that we continue to build with.’’
Curt Miller effectively shut down any other Azzi Fudd narrative
With that comment, Miller essentially shut down any other narrative surrounding Fudd's draft position and the team's decision to bring her on. It's hard to deny that UConn produces players who excel at the collegiate and professional level — the WNBA is currently home to several UConn graduates, and many of the league's greatest of all time played for Geno Auriemma.
The Wings have a lot to look forward to when Fudd makes her debut. She's expected to start for the team, which will also be undergoing a pretty significant rebuild this season. The Wings ended the 2025 season in last place, but have since swapped coaches (Chris Koclanes was replaced by Jose Fernandez, a good friend of Auriemma's) and have signed several players during free agency.
Miller also noted that the team's front office wanted to emphasize adding a lot of veterans to the locker room, something he believes they were "successful" in pulling off. It's undeniable that having a strong veteran presence is a huge first step toward building a team that can enjoy big wins, and the Wings have made it clear they want to go as far as they can this season (and beyond).
They'll face stiff compeitition. The Chicago Sky have nearly completely rebuilt their roster with the addition of several big names added during free agency, and the Indiana Fever are set to return to the court with a fully healthy Caitlin Clark. But the Wings could still pull off a surprisingly successful season, and Fudd will be a crucial piece of the puzzle if they do.
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