NEW YORK — 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.
WNBA draft: Chicago Sky select UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez with the No. 5 pick
UCLA became the first team to have five first-round selections, and the first with six players selected in one draft.
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. Giannna Kneepkens was chosen by Connecticut with the last pick of the opening round and Charlisse Leger-Walker was taken by the Sun in the second round.
The six Bruins set the record that had been held by Tennessee (1997, 2008), Notre Dame (2019) and South Carolina (2023), which all had five players drafted in total.
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.
First round
1. Dallas, Azzi Fudd, G, UConn
2. Minnesota (via Chicago), Olivia Miles, G, TCU
3. Seattle (via Los Angeles), Awa Fam Thiam, C, Spain
4. Washington, Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
5. Chicago (via UConn), Gabriela Jaquez, G, UCLA
6. Toronto, KiKi Rice, G, UCLA
7. Portland, Iyana Martin Carrion, G, Spain
8. Golden State, Flau’Jae Johnson, G, LSU, to Seattle for Draft Rights to Marta Suarez and 2028 2nd round pick.
9. Washington (via Seattle), Angela Dugalic, F, UCLA
10. Indiana, Raven Johnson, G, South Carolina
11. Washington (via New York), Cotie McMahon, F, Mississippi
12. Connecticut (via Phoenix), Nell Angloma, F, France
13. Atlanta, Madina Okot, F, South Carolina
14. Seattle (via Las Vegas), Taina Mair, G, Duke
15. Connecticut (via Minnesota), Gianna Kneepkens, G, UCLA
Second round
16. Seattle (via Dallas), Marta Suarez, F, TCU, to Golden State for Draft Rights to Flau’Jae Johnson.
17. Portland (via Chicago), Frieda Buhner, F, Spain
18. Connecticut, Charlisse Leger-Walker, G, UCLA
19. Washington, Cassandre Prosper, G, Notre Dame
20. Los Angeles, Ta’Niya Latson, G, South Carolina
21. Chicago (via Portland), LaTasha Lattimore, F, Mississippi
22. Toronto, Teonni Key, F, Kentucky
23. Golden State, Ashlon Jackson, G, Duke
24. Los Angeles (via Seattle), Chance Gray, G, Ohio St.
25. Indiana, Justine Pissott, G/F, Vanderbilt
26. Toronto (via New York), Saffron Shiels, G, Australia
27. Phoenix, Ines Pitarch-Granel, G, France
28. Atlanta, Indya Nivar, G, UNC
29. Las Vegas, Janiah Barker, F, Tennessee
30. Washington (via Minnesota), Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, G/F, Baylor
Third round
31. Dallas, Zee Spearman, F, Tennessee
32. Chicago, Tonie Morgan, G, UConn
33. Connecticut, Serah Williams, F, UConn
34. Washington, Rori Harmon, G, Texas
35. Los Angeles, Amelia Hassett, F, Kentucky
36. Toronto, Charlise Dunn, G, Davidson
37. Portland, Taylor Bigby, G, TCU
38. Golden State, Kokoro Tanaka, G, Japan
39. Seattle, Grace VanSlooten, F, Michigan St.
40. Indiana, Jessica Timmons, G, Alabama
41. New York, Manuela Puoch, F, Australia
42. Phoenix, Eszter Ratkai, G, Hungary
43. Atlanta, Kejia Ran, G, China
44. Las Vegas, Jordan Obi, G, Kentucky
45. Minnesota, Lani White, G, Utah
