Azzi Fudd Makes Honest Admission About Current State Of Physicality In WNBA

The Dallas Wings get into the top five starting lineups for the 2026 season, with the addition of top free agents and the top draft pick, Azzi Fudd. The rookie brought a lot of energy and offensive flair to the team.

Importantly, the player can deliver on defense, as evidenced by her performance with UConn. So, the team also gets one of the top defenders with the 2026 rookie. While she tried to implement the same in the WNBA, referee calls against her shocked her, and the player recently opened up on the physicality in the league.

Azzi Fudd Is Confused With Physicality In The WNBA

The 22-year-old entered the league as one of the top stars from the talented draft class. The Wings looked to keep focus on her gameplay and ‘infamously’ avoided any questions around her personal relationship with Paige Bueckers.

So when the reporters asked her about her views on the physicality in the WNBA, which had been a hot topic in the league in recent years. Answering the question, Fudd said, “Honestly, I feel more confused. I thought you could be physical in the W, and anytime you touch someone, it’s a foul.”

Azzi Fudd on her preseason experience thus far:

"Honestly, I feel more confused. I thought you could be physical in the W, and anytime you touch someone, it's a foul."pic.twitter.com/sSJfy3hatV

— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) May 4, 2026

The NCAA MOP for the 2025 season had a strong defensive outing in the 2026 season. She established herself as an elite defender, ranking 10th nationally in defensive rating (72.4) and 4th in defensive win shares (2.8). With 2.5 steals per game and showed high-level defensive skills, including a 2.1% steal rate and 2.5% block rate. With some experience, the player would get back to her top defensive self.

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Apart from that, the player has already impressed her teammates and coach in her training sessions and put in a satisfactory performance in the preseason games.

Azzi Fudd Shines In Preseason Games For Dallas Wings

The 2026 rookie had a strong showing in the preseason games with the Dallas Wings. Although it was a learning experience for the star, it also had flashes of skill despite early foul trouble. Playing 16 minutes in the first game, the rookie guard finished with four points on 2-of-7 shooting, often acting as an offensive option off the ball, though she struggled to establish a rhythm and recorded three fouls.

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd delivered a solid performance in their preseason win against the Aces 💪 pic.twitter.com/1ymbfkGOZq

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 4, 2026

Importantly, Fudd showed promise by attacking the basket to score over defenders and demonstrated court vision. While her game showed flashes of on-court chemistry with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, she also played well with the rest of the team, helping them on defense.

Despite the rocky start, Fudd’s ability to space the floor and high-IQ play are expected to be vital for the Wings as she adapts to the physical WNBA pace.