via Imago<\/p>\n Mandatory Credits: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n As Fudd had recalled, Bueckers AirDropped the clip to Fudd\u2019s family, saying: \u201cThese are the passes I\u2019ll get you\u2026 you\u2019ll get all these open shots if you come to UConn next year.\u201d Reflecting on it, Fudd smiled wryly: \u201cI\u2019m just shaking my head, my parents are laughing. But it was a Paige moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Really, it was. But Bueckers didn\u2019t just stop at visuals. She also offered personal support and reassurance when Fudd considered the high expectations at UConn. When the Final Four MOP admitted she felt nervous about meeting the Huskies\u2019 standard, Bueckers calmly normalized the transition: \u201cThis is nothing different than what you do. It\u2019s just basketball. It\u2019s what you love.\u201d And we all know what happened next\u2014those efforts paid off. Fudd committed to UConn on her 18th birthday (November 11, 2020), choosing the Huskies over multiple top-tier programs.<\/p>\n Now, after an injury-hampered freshman year, Fudd is back at UConn, while Bueckers is lighting it up in Dallas. So next year, could PB use a little bit of her magic again to help Fudd land in Dallas? Maybe. But can she really pull it off?<\/p>\n Neither Paige Bueckers nor Dallas Wings can help Azzi Fudd!<\/p>\n Well, the process to get Fudd to Dallas isn\u2019t exactly easy. For starters, securing back-to-back No. 1 picks in the WNBA Draft is rare, though it\u2019s happened before. But, Wings? They haven\u2019t achieved this yet, but other teams have. Remember the Seattle Storm? They picked Lauren Jackson (2001) and Sue Bird (2002); later, Jewell Loyd (2015) and Breanna Stewart (2016). The Las Vegas Aces (formerly the San Antonio Stars) selected Kelsey Plum (2017), A\u2019ja Wilson (2018), and Jackie Young (2019)\u2014three consecutive No. 1 picks. Most recently, the Indiana Fever drafted Aliyah Boston (2023) and Caitlin Clark (2024).<\/p>\n So yes, it\u2019s possible. And to make it more interesting, teams\u2014including the Wings\u2014can obtain pick-swap rights through trades. So, Dallas currently holds the right to swap first-round picks with the Chicago Sky in 2025, if needed. And since both Sky and Dallas are currently near the bottom of the standings, that option could prove critical.<\/p>\n But the real gamble lies in how the WNBA handles the top picks in 2026. As Kelley O\u2019Hara puts it: \u201cLauren Betts is projected as of now the No. 1 pick in the next [2026] draft. Therefore, Lauren Betts in Dallas\u2026 Dallas would gain a lot from that,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n And yes, that\u2019s true too. Betts, a standout at UCLA, is the projected No.\u202f1 overall pick. A dominant 6\u20197\u2033 center with elite two-way capabilities, she averages 20.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 2.9 BPG while shooting an efficient 64.8% from the field. Her polished inside presence, shot-blocking, and rim dominance make her one of the most coveted talents.<\/p>\n On the other hand, Fudd\u2014UConn standout and projected No.\u202f2 overall pick\u2014is a smooth 5\u201911\u201d shooting guard, known for her sharpshooting, particularly beyond the arc. She\u2019s averaging 13.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG, with an impressive 43.6% 3-point percentage. So yeah, both are game-changers. But let\u2019s be real, for now, fans just want PB and Azzi back together<\/a>, right? Still, despite all the speculation, projections, and wishful thinking\u2026 you never really know what might happen next!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cTo be able to spend these four years\u2014whether we were both on the court, both out, one on…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":126097,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[1619,62,1648,67,132,68,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-126096","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-npstrans","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-toppic","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us","14":"tag-wnba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"article-image\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Azzi-Fudd-and-Paige-Bueckers.webp\")
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