ARLINGTON, Texas — Azzi Fudd will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on her right knee and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, the Dallas Wings announced Wednesday.
Fudd will have the procedure done in Connecticut early next week and will begin rehabbing immediately. The team cited ongoing soreness in the knee. Fewer than five weeks remain in the regular season. The Wings said additional updates will come after the procedure.
Azzi Fudd Last Played For Dallas Wings On Aug. 5
Fudd last appeared in a game on Aug. 5 at the Washington Mystics. Two nights later she went through warmups before the home game against the Golden State Valkyries, felt soreness in the right knee, and did not play. She has since sat out against Golden State, the Minnesota Lynx, the Toronto Tempo, the Indiana Fever, and Golden State again.
Fudd worked off to the side with a trainer during Wednesday’s practice while the team ran a five-on-five session. Wings coach José Fernández declined to provide an update on her afterward and said he had nothing new to share. On Aug. 12, Fernández described the process as a return-to-play protocol and pointed to the collaboration between the coaching staff, the front office, the team’s data scientists, and its sports medicine and strength and conditioning departments.
Fudd tore the ACL and medial meniscus in her right knee in November 2023 at UConn. She missed the remainder of that season.
Azzi Fudd Leaves Behind Several Dallas Wings Rookie Marks
Dallas took Fudd first overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft following five years at UConn, including the 2025 NCAA championship season. Over 30 games, with 24 starts, she averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 31.7 minutes. She shot 45.6% from the field, 39.7% from 3-point range, and 82.6% from the free-throw line. Fudd scored a career-high 26 points against the Seattle Storm.
Dallas went 19-11 in games Fudd played and is 1-5 without her. She leads the Wings in on-court net rating at 6.9 over 950 minutes. The Wings have produced a -6.2 net rating in the 500 minutes she has been off the floor.
Fudd’s steals average leads all rookies. Her blocks rank second among rookies and her scoring ranks third. Her scoring average ranks third all-time by a Wings rookie. Her steals average and 3-pointers made are tops in team history among Dallas first-year players.
In July, Fudd became the first rookie in league history to win the WNBA 3-Point Contest, doing so at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena during All-Star Weekend. She is also the first Wings player in franchise history to win the event. Fudd put up the second-highest score in a finale in contest history with 30 points, making 20-of-26 shots in the final round, including 8 of her last 10.
Dallas Wings Host Indiana Fever On Thursday
Aziaha James did not practice Wednesday either. James has a lower left leg injury she suffered Aug. 12 against Toronto while attempting to take a charge, and she has not played since. Fernández declined to update her status as well.
Dallas is 20-16 and fourth in the Western Conference with eight games left. The Wings have lost two in a row and five of seven. Jessica Shepard returned Monday at Chase Center after missing two games with a right ankle injury. Dallas signed Christyn Williams to a Developmental Player contract on Aug. 14. Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Odyssey Sims remain in the backcourt.
The Wings host Indiana on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center. Thursday is the third and final regular-season meeting between the teams. Dallas won the opener 107-104 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 9. Indiana won 98-87 on Aug. 14. The Fever are 24-12 and lead the Eastern Conference. Thursday’s tip-off streams on Prime Video and airs locally on WFAA.
