Azzi Fudd is the first overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings. Fudd comes with a couple of outstanding seasons with Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies, having won the national championship in 2025 while being the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She was also a First Team All-Big East in 2025 and 2026.
So, it’s no surprise that she was selected by Dallas, where she will reunite with her former teammate and girlfriend, Paige Bueckers. Unexpectedly, someone who wasn’t there to witness one of her greatest accomplishments was Auriemma.
There’s a reason for Auriemma’s absence from the ceremony in New York City on Monday night. ESPN’s Alexa Philippou shared the reasoning with the fans through her X account, as she tweeted the following minutes before the start of the WNBA Draft:
“UConn coach Geno Auriemma is not attending the WNBA draft tonight. He is attending services for the husband of UConn program assistant (and his former player) Peggy Myers, who lost her husband, Norm, last month to brain cancer,” wrote the ESPN reporter on X.
Peggy Myers has been with UConn’s basketball program for 31 years. She graduated from the school with a degree in Design and Resource Management in 1986. She also played basketball for the Huskies in the mid to late 80s, including a stint under Geno Auriemma himself.
Understandably, the veteran coach would skip even an important event like the WNBA Draft to support a longtime friend.
Who rounded up the top 10 of the WNBA Draft?
- Azzi Fudd – From: UConn. To: Dallas Wings
- Olivia Miles – From: TCU. To: Minnesota Lynx
- Awa Fam – From: Valencia (Spanish LF). To: Seattle Storm
- Lauren Betts – From: UCLA. To: Washington Mystics
- Gabriela Jaquez – From: UCLA. To: Chicago Sky
- Kiki Rice – From: UCLA. To: Toronto Tempo.
- Iyana Martín – From: Perfumerías Avenida (Spanish LF). To: Portland Fire
- Flau’jae Johnson – From: LSU. To: Golden State Valkyries
- Angela Dugalić – From: UCLA. To: Washington Mystics
- Raven Johnson – From: South Carolina. To: Indiana Fever
The UCLA Bruins come out as the most successful program in the nation from this WNBA Draft Top 10, which is a fair representation of reality, considering they just won the NCAA Tournament.
Also Read: 2026 WNBA Draft Projections for LSU Players Ft. Flau’jae Johnson
Read More: Chicago Sky and Flau’jae Johnson’s Fans Butt Heads On Drafting LSU Star After 7th 20-Point Game in 9 NCAA Outings
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