Bueckers reacts to Fudd

Paige Bueckers posted an immediate reaction after Dallas used the No. 1 pick on Azzi Fudd, reuniting the former Connecticut teammates in the Women’s National Basketball Association. (newsweek.com) The Dallas Wings selected Fudd first overall in the 2026 Women’s National Basketball Association draft on Monday, April 13, one year after taking Bueckers with the top pick on April 14, 2025. (wnba.com) (wings.wnba.com) Fudd entered the draft after a final Connecticut season in which she averaged 17.3 points per game, and Dallas added her to a backcourt that already includes Bueckers and veteran guard Arike Ogunbowale. (nbcnews.com) (espn.com) The pairing drew attention because Dallas now has consecutive No. 1 overall picks from the same college program on the same roster. USA Today reported that Fudd became the seventh Connecticut player selected No. 1 in the draft. (dallasnews.com) (usatoday.com) The reunion also extends a Connecticut run that included the 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association title team. Fudd’s school bio lists her as a 2025 national champion and the 2025 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. (uconnhuskies.com) Bueckers arrived in Dallas with similar momentum and turned it into a major rookie season. The Wings said she won Associated Press Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals across 36 games in 2025. (wings.wnba.com) Before the draft, Dallas had already been widely linked to Fudd after winning the lottery for a second straight year. ESPN’s April mock draft projected the Wings to take her at No. 1 and noted Bueckers’ return as a cornerstone of the roster. (espn.com) Fudd said after the pick that joining Bueckers again felt familiar, and Bueckers’ public reaction gave fans a real-time glimpse of that reunion. Dallas opens the next phase with two straight No. 1 picks from Connecticut now sharing the same locker room. (bleacherreport.com) (newsweek.com)