The UConn Huskies are in the Final Four of the NCAA Championship, living up to the champions’ standard and also extending Azzi Fudd’s impressive run. WNBA megastar Diana Taurasi called the versatile guard the best pure shooter she has ever seen and a lock for the No. 1 pick. This not only highlights her quality but also allows her to reunite with Paige Bueckers.
They were impactful in the Huskies’ 2025 championship. PB set multiple individual records while Fudd won the MOP award. Until now, things were moving swiftly, nearly putting the ‘first overall pick’ crown on People’s Princess, but now, after coach Jose Fernandez’s recent interview, there are possibilities of the Wings selecting a different player in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Azzi Fudd’s Reunion With Paige Bueckers’ Under Threat
The 2026 draft class is one of the deepest in the league’s recent history, which puts many franchises under ‘pressure’ to nail their picks. The maximum pressure is on the Wings, who have the top pick and will have to make a very calculated decision.
Talking about the style of play Wings will implement in the upcoming season, coach Fernandez said, “We are going to rim-run harder. When we get off the glass, we are going to create defensive mismatches with great rim run.”
Azzi Fudd, you better learn how to speak Minnesota Lynx 😂 pic.twitter.com/y9pw9VkIwL
— AndFuckingOne (@andfuckingone) April 1, 2026
Although Fudd is capable of making runs towards the rim and finishing the play, emphasis on the paint region highlights intentions to pick a top draw forward as the first overall pick. While the recent mock draft also showed top 10 selections in the upcoming WNBA draft, the coach’s views might change one or two picks.
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Moreover, WNBA analysts also hinted at Coach Jose Fernandez’s international recruiting expertise, which raises doubts about Paige Bueckers-Azzi Fudd’s reunion. As for the 2025 Rookie of the Year winner, she is currently focusing on Team USA camp and is excited for the new CBA deal.
Paige Bueckers Excited For 2026 Season
As much as the players showed resilience and grit in the CBA discussions, much credit goes to a Nobel Prize-Winning Economist who helped WNBA players secure 400% raise through strategic negotiation. Obviously, the players are happy with the deal, and PB shared her excitement in a recent interview.
Following a productive season, the 2025 WNBA All-Star said, “From the way that the game is expanded, we want our earnings to expand as well. So we’re really happy and excited with the way things turned out and we’re really, really glad that we stood on.”
A new CBA provision called "EPIC" (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract) will fast-track the ability for players like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers & Aliyah Boston to make max + supermax salaries while on rookie-scale deals.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 20, 2026
Plus more CBA details: https://t.co/iIYoRZUtRr
“Looking forward to the future, that’s what we want for the next generation and the next classes coming up, that the game is considerably built and we get what we deserve from that,” Bueckers added.
With or without Fudd, the former UConn star can still impact the games, and a quality addition in the 2026 draft will certainly help her quest for a ‘better season.’