Apparently, Jose Fernandez had narrowed down his draft list months ago. “There has been separation by some folks,” he said. And at the time, Azzi Fudd was at the top of most mock drafts for the Dallas Wings. Yet, like Wings GM Curt Miller had said and Fernandez had echoed, they have a lot of optionality. There is no clear No. 1 in this draft class like we had Caitlin Clark in 2024 or Paige Bueckers last year. However, ESPN Ryan Ruocco has sent a clear warning to the Wings’ front office amidst this uncertainty.
With Awa Fam and Fudd dominating the conversation, Olivia Miles emerged as the No. 1 pick in the latest mock draft from ESPN. “Her court vision is excellent,” Voepel wrote. “She made 73 3-pointers this season at TCU and last season at Notre Dame. With that kind of offensive arsenal, Miles could work well with Bueckers.” Lauren Betts still has a slim chance of becoming the No. 1 pick as well. With this uncertainty looming, Ryan Ruocco has provided Dallas Wings with a clear direction for their draft choice.
“You’re not one piece away from winning a championship,” Ruocco said in the pre-draft media call (via Dallas News). “They need so much still in Dallas that they should only be thinking about who they truly believe is the best player.”
“They need so much still in Dallas that they should only be thinking about who they truly believe is the best player,” ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco said on a pre-draft media call this morning.
What will the Wings do with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft? https://t.co/f9qZhiFoTD
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The Wings went 10-34 last season, with Paige Bueckers largely dominating the headlines and the boxscores. They are under a new coach in Fernandez and are adopting a new identity. A top draft pick won’t suddenly make them a contender. But they can become the base of their rebuild. And for that base to be strong, they need an out and out star. In addition, they can’t be thinking about Paige Bueckers and her relationship with Fudd. So far, it is just a narrative in the WNBA circles but such personal matters need to be set aside and look at players as they are.
“There are cases to be made for many different players. I think you could make that case for Azzi Fudd,” Ruocco further said. “I think you could make it for Olivia Miles. I think you could make it for Awa Fam. I think you could make it for Lauren Betts.”
Fudd had a somewhat lukewarm NCAA tournament, but she is easily the best shooter in this class. Lauren Betts size and mobility around the rim make her a fierce contender. The national title win gives her some more momentum. Awa Fam is younger than both and arguably as talented. She has experience playing with WNBA-caliber players in Spain. It depends on which direction Fernandez and the Wings staff wants to go. But we can glance at their free agency moves to gain an estimate of what Fernandez wants.
Dallas Wings’ Free Agency Moves Hint at Olivia Miles–Azzi Fudd Draft Direction
The Wings have been active in the Free agency market. They have reportedly retained Arike Ogunbowale on a million-plus deal. They have also secured Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard while re-signing Chinese center Li Yueru, point guard Grace Berger and Center Awak Kuier. The Wings also traded Diamond Miller for another big, Rayah Marshal. It feels like they are stacking bigs in free agency, preparing to draft a guard in the draft.
“When we think about the draft, are they going to want to draft another big, or does that mean they are wanting to get a guard like Azzi Fudd, maybe even an Olivia Miles? The bigs, I said they needed to get in free agency, not necessarily from a rookie,” Tyler Robinson said on the Women’s Hoops Show.
Shepherd averaged 8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Lynx last year and could earn the start witht he Wings. Yueru also showed flashes of her talent in her stint with the Wings last year, averaging 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. Kuier is also coming off a successful season overseas. Playing for Galatasaray in Turkey, she averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 59.3% from the field and 40.9% from three over 24 games.
She did even better in the Euro League, averaging 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 65.4% overall across 17 games. Considering the Dallas Wings have signed multiple centers so far who could be part of the rotation, guards could be their target in the draft, which puts Miles and Fudd ahead in the race.
