Azzi Fudd sets record for lowest points scored by a No. 1 pick in debut

The highly anticipated 30th WNBA season kicked off Friday with three games, including the first game against the Toronto Tempo.

The action continued on Saturday with a full slate, including the return of Caitlin Clark after an injury-plagued second season.

Clark and the Indiana Fever host the Dallas Wings on Saturday afternoon in the latest matchup featuring four No. 1 overall picks. The Wings outshot the Fever 107-104, but the game was defined by an underwhelming debut from Azzi Fudd (the recent top pick).

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Fudd played 18 minutes off the bench and scored three points; that was the lowest ever for the No. 1 overall pick in her WNBA debut.

Wings coach Jose Fernandez commented on Fudd’s post-game performance and encouraged the rookie: “Keep doing what he’s doing, this is his first year in the league. We’ve got five really talented backcourt players.”

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In addition to Fudd, Dallas’ backcourt includes last year’s top pick Paige Bueckers, last season’s 12th 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 starter at No. 1. The player, who was selected first overall by the then San Antonio Stars team in 2017, scored only four points in his first match. The Stars moved to Las Vegas in 2018 and subsequently rebranded as the Aces.

Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd warms up before his game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 9, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Despite a slow start to his first season in the league, Plum finished the year with All-Rookie team honors. In the years since, he 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 and raised questions about whether Bueckers’ personal relationship with him influenced the selection. Late last month, Bueckers said that wasn’t happening.

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)

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“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 pick in the draft because she deserved it, and it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a person and as a basketball player,” Bueckers said. to ESPN.

Neither Bueckers nor Fudd have publicly updated their relationship status since the April draft.

“Frankly, I believe that me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but ours,” Bueckers also said in April. “And what we choose to share is entirely up to us.”

Next up, the Wings play their home opener on Tuesday when they host the Atlanta Dream.

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