KK Arnold shares excitement to see Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd on Wings
UConn’s KK Arnold tells USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg about seeing her two former teammates Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd on Dallas Wings together.
Sports Seriously
Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd will not suit up for her second WNBA game.
On May 12, roughly two hours before a matchup against the Atlanta Dream (8 p.m. ET on League Pass), Fudd was downgraded to out with a right knee injury. She had been listed as probable to play the previous day.
It’s unclear when Fudd might have suffered the injury. On May 9, during her rookie debut, the 2026 No. 1 pick played 18 minutes off the bench, scoring three points, one rebound and one assist.
“I think she took it fine,” head coach Jose Fernandez said postgame of Fudd not being in the starting lineup. “Our players knew three days before who our starting lineup was … it’s just a credit to our team and the makeup of our team right now.”
Per Dallas Hoops Journal, Fudd participated in the team’s shootaround on May 12, doing skill work next to the team’s guards during the open media portion. On Tuesday, Fernandez addressed Fudd’s status during pre-game availability.
“Out of an abundance of caution and her long-term health, we’re keeping her out tonight,” Fernandez said.
The Wings’ head coach was asked if Dallas knew there was a chance Fudd’s knee would be an issue during the draft process or if the injury came up over the last few weeks.”I’m sure the front office and strength and conditioning and sports medicine ― everybody ― does their due diligence, right? But there weren’t any concerns whatsoever,” Fernandez said.
Dallas’s head coach then responded to a follow-up question asking if Fudd had aggravated anything in her knee.
“I’m not gonna discuss anything medically in regards to her, what she has done in practice, what she hasn’t done in practice,” Fernandez said. “She’s a big part of this team. There’s a reason why we drafted her No. 1, and she’s gonna have a great season for the Wings.”
Azzi Fudd injury history
Fudd tore her ACL and MCL in her right knee in April 2019 while playing in a USA Basketball event during her sophomore year of high school. In November 2023, she tore the ACL in her right knee again and also suffered a medial meniscus tear in practice at UConn. The injuries limited her to two games during the 2023-24 season.
