Wings rookie Azzi Fudd sets dubious WNBA record with lowest-scoring debut by top pick

The highly anticipated 30th WNBA play tipped disconnected Friday with 3 games, including the enlargement Toronto Tempo’s first-ever contest.

The enactment continued Saturday with a afloat slate, including Caitlin Clark’s instrumentality aft an injury-riddled sophomore season.

Clark and the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings connected Saturday day successful a matchup featuring the 4 astir caller No. 1 wide picks. The Wings outlasted the Fever 107-104, but the crippled was defined by Azzi Fudd’s — the astir caller apical prime — underwhelming debut.

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Dallas Wings guards Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers respond during the archetypal fractional of the Fever’s play opener astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis connected May 9, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Fudd played 18 minutes disconnected the bench, scoring 3 points — the lowest ever by a No. 1 wide prime successful a WNBA debut.

Wings manager Jose Fernandez addressed Fudd’s show aft the game, encouraging the rookie to, "Keep doing what she’s doing, it’s her archetypal twelvemonth successful the league. We got 5 truly talented backcourt players."

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In summation to Fudd, Dallas’ backcourt features past year’s apical draught prime Paige Bueckers, past season’s No. 12 wide prime Aziaha James, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and starting defender Odyssey Sims.

Until Saturday, Kelsey Plum held the grounds for the lowest-scoring debut by a No. 1 pick. Selected archetypal wide by the then-San Antonio Stars successful 2017, she scored conscionable 4 points successful her debut. The Stars relocated to Las Vegas successful 2018 and was subsequently rebranded arsenic the Aces.

Dallas Wings defender Azzi Fudd warms up earlier the crippled against the Indiana Fever astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Indiana, connected May 9, 2026. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Despite the dilatory commencement to her archetypal play successful the league, Plum ended the twelvemonth with All-Rookie squad honors. In the years since, she's been named to 4 All-Star teams and won 2 championships with the Aces.

The Wings’ determination to instrumentality Fudd with the No. 1 wide prime drew controversy, raising questions astir whether Bueckers’ idiosyncratic narration with her influenced the selection. Late past month, Bueckers said past period it did not.

Azzi Fudd poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert aft being selected archetypal wide by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft astatine The Shed successful New York City connected April 13, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)

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"Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 draught prime due to the fact that she earned it, and it had thing to bash with maine and everything to bash with who she is arsenic a quality being, who she is arsenic a hoops player," Bueckers said, according to ESPN.

Neither Bueckers nor Fudd has publically updated their narration presumption since the April draft.

"Quite frankly, I judge maine and Azzi’s idiosyncratic narration is nobody’s concern but our own," Bueckers besides said successful April. "And what we take to stock is wholly up to us."

Next up, the Wings play their location opener connected Tuesday erstwhile they big the Atlanta Dream.

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