For months, Azzi Fudd sat comfortably at the top of the WNBA mock drafts and was widely seen as the inevitable No. 1 pick. And quite understandably, many would agree. Fudd, despite battling significant knee injuries earlier in her career, solidified her “pro-ready” status by leading UConn to the 2025 National Championship. She had a 24-point performance in that title game and earned the Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. Her senior season has also seen her reach new heights, averaging a career-high 17.3 points while leading the nation in three-pointers.
Despite these credentials, the latest ESPN projections have introduced a new frontrunner in the 2026 WNBA Draft, with Olivia Miles leapfrogging Azzi Fudd for the No. 1 spot. Specifically, the prediction has Miles getting selected as the overall No. 1 pick by the Dallas Wings. This is interesting because she could go on to partner with Paige Bueckers in place of Fudd, who, even outside of performance reasons, many fans had anticipated sharing a court with Bueckers because of their off-court relationship.
There’s a new projected No. 1 in Michael Voepel’s latest 2026 WNBA mock draft
Check it out here
https://t.co/ynarDqNMQa pic.twitter.com/YiKC6GJfAu
— ESPN (@espn) April 8, 2026
And of course, Azzi Fudd, especially for her performance during the recently concluded season, would not be a wrong choice as the No. 1 pick. Fudd, in fact, delivered a career-best campaign in the 2025/26 season. Stepping into a primary leadership role following the graduation of Paige Bueckers, she led UConn to an undefeated regular season and a No. 1 ranking.
However, according to the mock draft report, she didn’t have a strong enough NCAA tournament this season, particularly with her cold shooting stretch in the Final Four. And the most surprising part of the entire projection is that she didn’t just drop to second. She fell to third, with Spanish professional Awa Fam taking the No. 2 spot instead. This is especially notable considering Fudd was the projected No. 1 in the previous two mock drafts.
Obviously, a projected mock draft is never absolute. So it’s still very much possible for Azzi Fudd to go No. 1. Well, the 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled for Monday, April 13. So fans won’t have to wait too long to find out how it all unfolds.
WNBA Fans React After ESPN Projects New No. 1 for 2026 Mock Draft
As expected, the 2026 mock draft projections have sparked several reactions from fans. And of course, many of them do not agree that Azzi Fudd should be anywhere but No. 1. “That is NOT Azzi Fudd,” one fan said. Another fan, also considering Fudd and Bueckers’ relationship, said, “Anybody with half a brain knows Azzi is going to Dallas to be with Paige Bueckers.”
For some fans, however, the Dallas Wings already have Paige Bueckers as their point guard. So they consider the choice of Olivia Miles as not tactically reasonable. “No way they take a passing PG #1 when they have Paige. If she’s really the #1 pick, I’d bet they move down.” And of course, that seems like a logical point of view. The Wings have historically lacked elite rim protection and interior depth. So picking a second point guard ignores the team’s most glaring weakness. In fact, as one fan noted, the Wings would rather go for Awa Fam as “they need an efficient big.”
Some fans have even condemned Miles’ selection as the No. 1 entirely. They even pointed out what they consider weaknesses in her game. “Terrible projection,” one fan said. “She lacks athleticism, so even her passing won’t translate at the next level. And she’s a ball-dominant guard that can’t play off-ball…” Another fan also said, “She’s unproven (Baylor was their best win), she’s not likeable, she’s turnover prone, and she’s too ball-dominant.”
Ultimately, the Dallas Wings face a franchise-altering choice on April 13: trust the proven UConn connection or gamble on a new-look backcourt.
