Azzi Fudd appeared for her debut regular-season game in the WNBA, as the Indiana Fever lost to the Dallas Wings on Saturday, May 9, 104-107. Unexpectedly, Wings head coach Jose Fernandez decided to play the 2026 top pick off the bench in her first game. The Wings guard’s preseason did not go as she would have expected, averaging eight points and one assist in 19 minutes. Amid her early struggles, she had a significant realization.
Bueckers and Fudd made a lot of noise before their first game together, after playing on the same college team, the UConn Huskies, for four seasons. After her two preseason games, Fudd complained about the uncertainty in officiating and physicality in the WNBA. While highlighting how she changed her shooting pace, which did not work well with her, she said, via Dallas Hoops Journal:
“What I did notice was that I was quickening my shot even though I didn’t need to. And so when I started to rush, that’s when my shot’s off a little bit. It’s just settling into the pace a little bit faster, but still trusting my shot. The speed of my shot is perfect. I don’t need to change that.”
Fudd scored three points and one rebound in 18 minutes off the bench in her debut game. However, Bueckers contributed 20 points, three rebounds, and four assists to get the Wings their first win of the season.
Azzi Fudd makes history in her first WNBA regular-season game
Azzi Fudd made history in her very first pro game, as the Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings featured the last four top picks in the WNBA. Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Paige Bueckers (2025), and Azzi Fudd (2026) played together in a game, which was a rare feat in the league.
Clark addressed this earlier and said, via The Mirror:
“Obviously, with me and my teammate (Aliyah Boston), and then Azzi and Paige, so pretty cool dynamic, and I think it just speaks to the excitement of the players in our league… We played in the preseason. Obviously that’s completely different, but I expect our arena to be a really loud, fun environment. There’s nothing really like a Saturday home game during the summer, so I expect a lot of loud fans, and so it should be a really great game, and I’m expecting a close one, too.”
The game was indeed an interesting one for fans, as the two teams went neck to neck until the end. However, two missed clutch 3-pointers from Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever to lose their first game this season. Clark’s shooting woes haunted her for the entire game, and she will look to come back stronger in the Fever’s next game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
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