04/13/26 07:34:00
Printable Page
04/13 19:32 CDT Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd of UConn No. 1 in WNBA draft with
a $500,000 payday waiting
Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd of UConn No. 1 in WNBA draft with a $500,000
payday waiting
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Azzi Fudd is on her way to Dallas as the No. 1 pick in the
WNBA draft with a $500,000 payday waiting for the former UConn star.
"I'm not really sure I have words to describe that feeling what that meant,"
Fudd said of getting drafted. "I don't think it's fully sunk in. It's nothing I
could have imagined. The feeling of sitting with my family, with Morgan
(Valley), hearing your name called, go up there. Such a surreal feeling,"
Fudd will pair again with former Huskies teammate Paige Bueckers, who was the
Wings' top pick last year. Bueckers --- who along with Fudd gave UConn a record
seven No. 1 selections --- was in attendance at the draft along with Fudd's
Huskies teammates.
"Paige is an incredible player, everyone knows that," Fudd said. "She's someone
that makes playing basketball with easy."
UCLA stars Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez went in the top five, a little over
a week after leading the Bruins to their first NCAA championship.
Their teammate, Kiki Rice, went sixth to Toronto, the first pick for the
expansion franchise. The Tempo chose to have the higher pick in the college
draft after winning a coin toss, giving the Portland Fire the top choice in the
expansion draft earlier this month.
UCLA broke UConn's record of having four players drafted in the first round, a
mark the Huskies set in 2002, when Angela Dugalic went ninth to Washington,
teaming her again with Betts. And, Giannna Kneepkens was chosen by Connecticut
with the last pick of the opening round.
The Bruins also tied Tennessee (1997, 2008), Notre Dame (2019) and South
Carolina (2023), which all had five players drafted in total. They could break
that mark with Charlisse Leger-Walker also expected to be picked.
The new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified last month gave huge
pay raises to rookies. Fudd will make nearly seven-times what Bueckers earned
last season as the top choice. The No. 2 and No. 3 picks will get $466,913 and
$436,016, respectively.
Second- and third-round picks will make $270,000 --- which is more than the
previous maximum salary in the old CBA.
"I'm just blessed and grateful to come at this time," said No. 8 pick Flau'jae
Johnson, who went to Golden State. "The 30th season. My goal is to leave it
better than I found it. It's a gratitude thing, but also a responsibility
thing. I'm taking that with full force."
Minnesota took Olivia Miles of TCU with the No. 2 pick. Miles decided to stay
in college last season instead of enter the WNBA draft. She transferred from
Notre Dame to the Horned Frogs. She helped the team reach the Elite Eight for
the second consecutive year.
"Deep breath that's why I got emotional," Miles said of finishing her journey.
"It's finally here, finally heard my name. This is what this was for."
After Seattle took Spain center Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3, Washington selected the
6-foot-7 Betts before the Chicago Sky followed with Jaquez, who is the sister
of Miami Heat player Jaime Jaquez Jr. She now has family bragging rights not
only with a national championship, but also was picked higher than him. Jaime
was taken 18th in the NBA draft in 2023.
Portland took Spanish guard Iyana Martin Carrion with its first-ever pick.
Indiana took South Carolina's Raven Johnson with the 10th pick and Washington
drafted Cotie McMahon of Ole Miss next.
Connecticut took French player Nell Angloma with the 12th pick. A second
Gamecock went next with Madina Okot drafted by Atlanta. Seattle drafted Duke's
Taina Mair with the 14th choice.
The Sun closed out the first round choosing Kneepkens.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
|
