Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd will have arthroscopic surgery on her right knee and miss the remainder of the season due to ongoing right knee soreness. The surgery is scheduled for next week in Connecticut, where Fudd played college basketball at UConn before becoming the Huskies’ second consecutive top overall pick by Dallas. Fudd has not played since August 5 and was held out of a recent game due to an abundance of caution, according to the team. She had been a key player for the Wings, scoring 26 points in a win over Seattle in June and setting a rookie record with 62 three-pointers. Her absence has significantly impacted the team’s performance, as they have gone 2-7 since the All-Star break and now sit eighth in the standings.
Fudd’s injury history includes multiple knee issues, including a torn ACL and MCL in 2019 and another ACL tear and meniscus tear in 2023, according to CBS Sports. The 2019 injury occurred while Fudd was playing with Team USA ahead of her junior year in high school. In 2022, an incident during a game against Notre Dame caused her to miss five weeks of play. She returned in 2023 but suffered another injury just two games into her season, missing seven more weeks. In 2024, Fudd had a minor sprain that kept her out for only two weeks.
Despite the injury setbacks, Fudd was on track to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team. The Wings are still in a strong position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2023, with a four-and-a-half-game lead over the ninth-place Portland Fire. Fudd’s role as the team’s best shooter and her defensive contributions have been crucial to the Wings’ success this season. Her departure leaves a major gap in the lineup, especially with the team’s recent struggles.
Fudd was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, following in the footsteps of last year’s top pick, Paige Bueckers, who was drafted by Dallas, according to a report from NBC New York. She made an immediate impact as a rookie, starting in the sixth game after coming off the bench. Bueckers and Fudd both played together at UConn, winning the national championship in 2025 before Bueckers was drafted by the Wings. The Wings are now preparing for a game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
The WNBA regular season is scheduled to pause from August 31 through September 16 for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, Yahoo Sports reported. The team has been in a strong position to make the playoffs, but Fudd’s injury has made their path more difficult. With Fudd sidelined, the Wings are relying on other players to step up in her absence. The team’s performance has dropped significantly since Fudd went down, going just 1-5 without her in the lineup.
Fudd’s long history of knee injuries has been a concern for the Wings and fans alike. Despite her injury challenges, Fudd’s impact on the game has been significant since entering the league. The Wings are hopeful that Fudd will return next season with a full recovery and continue to lead the team.
IMAGE: MN Lynx vs LA Sparks, Dorka Juhász (F#14) & former Huskies teammate Azzi Fudd on July 20th, 2023 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota (photo credit John McClellan). Photo: John Mac / Wikimedia, taken 2023-07-20, CC BY-SA 2.0