Azzi Fudd goes No 1 in WNBA Draft to Wings, reunites with Paige Bueckers with historic $500K salary

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Azzi Fudd is reuniting with her old UConn Huskies teammate, Paige Bueckers, as the Dallas Wings took her first overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday night.

And Fudd comes in with a historic payday in the league.

After a new collective bargaining agreement was inked between the league and the players’ association last month, Fudd is set to make $500,000 in her rookie year – a massive pay bump compared to the $78,831 Bueckers earned last season as the WNBA Draft’s first overall selection.

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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 in New York City on April 13, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)

This comes as the salary cap for WNBA teams also jumped from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million, which also brought in the first-ever million-dollar contracts. From league veterans to newcomers in the Draft, the game’s best are getting paid.

While Fudd will certainly be happy to see her paychecks, she’s also excited to make her impact with the Wings and within the WNBA.

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"I'm not really sure I have words to describe that feeling what that meant," Fudd said after being drafted, via ESPN. "I don't think it's fully sunk in. It's nothing I could have imagined. The feeling of sitting with my family, with Morgan (Valley), hearing your name called, go up there. Such a surreal feeling."

Fudd was also