NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The highly anticipated 30th WNBA season tipped Friday with three games, including the expansion Toronto Tempo’s first-ever contest.
The action continued Saturday with a full slate, including the return of Caitlin Clark after another injury-riddled season.
Clark and the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings on Saturday afternoon in a matchup of the four most recent No. 1 overall picks. The Wings survived the Fever 107-104, but the game was defined by the underwhelming debut of Azzi Fudds – the latest top pick.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Dallas Wings guards Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers react during the first half of the Fever’s season opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on May 9, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Fudd played 18 minutes off the bench and scored three points – the lowest ever with a No. 1 overall score in a WNBA debut.
Speaking about Fudd’s performance after the game, Wings coach Jose Fernandez encouraged the rookie, “Keep doing what she’s doing, it’s her first year in the league. We have five really talented backcourt players.”
EX-WNBA STAR CRITICAL OF SKY ROOKIE HAILEY VAN LITH, BELIEVES POPULARITY PLAYED ROLE IN DRAFT SELECTION
In addition to Fudd, Dallas’ backcourt features last year’s top draft pick Paige Bueckers, last season’s No. 12 overall pick Aziaha James, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and starting guard Odyssey Sims.
Until Saturday, Kelsey Plum held the record for the lowest scoring debut with a No. 1 pick. She was selected first overall by the then-San Antonio Stars in 2017 and scored just four points in her debut. The Stars moved to Las Vegas in 2018 and were subsequently renamed the Aces.
Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd warms up before the game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 9, 2026. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Despite the slow start to her first season in the league, Plum finished the year with All-Rookie team honors. In the years since, she has been named to four All-Star teams and won two championships with the Aces.
The Wings’ decision to take Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick sparked controversy, raising questions about whether Bueckers’ personal relationship with her influenced the selection. At the end of last month, Bueckers said last month that it did not.
Azzi Fudd poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 pick because she deserved it, and it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a person, who she is as a basketball player,” Bueckers said, according to ESPN.
Neither the Bueckers nor Fudd have publicly updated their relationship status since the April draft.
“Honestly, I think me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business, but our own,” Bueckers also said in April. “And what we choose to share is entirely up to us.”
Next, the Wings play their home opener on Tuesday when they host the Atlanta Dream.
