Azzi Fudd injury: Wings rookie to undergo knee surgery in major blow for Wings

Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on her right knee and miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Wednesday. Fudd has not played since Aug. 5 due to ongoing knee soreness. 

“Most of you probably already saw. I’ve got a small procedure coming up on my knee, and I’ll be out as I recover,” Fudd wrote in a statement on social media. “I know exactly what comes next: rehab, put in the work, come back ready and better than before. Grateful for my family, my circle, and the Wings organization for the support.”

In 30 games, Fudd averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals, while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range. As of Wednesday, she leads the Wings in both 3s and steals, and is fourth on the team in scoring. 

Despite a premature end to her season, Fudd set a Wings rookie record with 62 3s and joined Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard and Tamika Catchings as the only rookies in WNBA history to record at least 50 3s, 50 steals and 25 blocks. She also became the first rookie ever to win the 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend. 

With the season Olivia Miles is having for the Minnesota Lynx, Fudd was not going to win Rookie of the Year, but she was well on her way to a spot on the All-Rookie Team and will probably still make it. As of Wednesday, she is fourth among rookies in scoring, steals and 3-pointers. 

Fudd’s absence will be major blow to Wings’ postseason hopes

The Wings are just 2-7 since the All-Star break and have dropped to eighth place in the standings in large part due to Fudd’s absence in recent weeks. Including this stretch, they are 19-11 with Fudd and 1-5 without her. Now, they won’t have her the rest of the way. 

Fudd is the team’s best shooter, and the spacing she provides makes it much easier for Paige Bueckers, Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale to operate. Even though Fudd doesn’t put up huge numbers herself, the Wings’ offense is significantly better with her on the floor. 

Additionally, the Wings shot 35.5% from 3-point range with Fudd on the floor (1.3% above league average) and 29.7% with her off (5% below league average). And thanks in part to better spacing with Fudd, they also shot 70.2% at the rim when she was on the floor (5.9% above league average) and 61.9% with her off (2.4% below league average). 

Fudd’s high-level off-ball defense will also be a major loss for a Wings team that has been inconsistent on that side of the ball this season. She was constantly in the right place and making smart reads to help on cutters and jump into passing lanes. Her absence will be more noticeable on offense, but the Wings have a 108.1 defensive rating with her on the floor and 111.4 defensive rating when she sits. 

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The 20-16 Wings are four and a half games ahead of the ninth-place Portland Fire for the final playoff spot, and are almost certainly still going to make the postseason for the first time since 2023. Their chances of going on a run were already looking slim, especially with the first-place Lynx looming as their first-round opponent if the season ended today. 

Now, without Fudd, there’s even less hope. 

Fudd has extensive history of right knee injuries

Heading into the 2026 WNBA Draft, one of the main knocks on Fudd was her extensive injury history, particularly with her right knee. This will be her fourth surgery on that knee since 2019. Here’s a closer look at her previous incidents

In 2019, ahead of her junior year of high school, Fudd tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee while playing with Team USA. The injury was so severe that she needed multiple surgeries. 

• 2022: Unspecified injury costs her five weeks

Early in Fudd’s sophomore season at UConn, ironically in a game against Notre Dame and Miles, the No. 2 pick behind Fudd in this year’s draft, a teammate fell into Fudd’s right knee. The program did not disclose the specifics of the injury, but she missed five weeks. 

• 2023: Unspecified injury costs her seven weeks

Just two games into her return from the injury in her sophomore season, Fudd went down again, this time versus Georgetown. The team initially thought the issue was not serious, but Fudd ended up missing seven more weeks. The nature of that injury also remains unclear. 

• 2023: Torn ACL and meniscus

After playing just two games in her junior season, Fudd tore her ACL and meniscus during practice and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. She underwent surgery and took a medical redshirt. 

• 2024: Unspecified sprain costs her two weeks

Fudd made her return from her second ACL injury on Nov. 20, 2024. Less than a month later, she sprained her knee in a game against Louisville. This time, the injury actually was minor, and she only missed two weeks. She would not miss a single game the rest of her senior season or in her fifth and final season. 

• 2026: Soreness leads to season-ending surgery

Fudd, who notably came off the bench to begin her WNBA career, missed the Wings’ second game of the season on May 12 against the Atlanta Dream due to right knee soreness. Wings coach Jose Fernandez said they decided to sit her that night “out of an abundance of caution and her long-term health.” 

Fudd would not miss any further time until this latest bout of knee soreness, which popped up early this month and initially did not appear serious. She last played on Aug. 5 against the Washington Mystics, but participated in practice on Aug. 11 and seemed to be ramping up for a return. 

It’s unclear what happened in the interim, but the team has decided that season-ending surgery is the best long-term option.