Azzi Fudd is heading to the Dallas Wings as the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, reuniting with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. Fudd is set to make a historic $500,000 in her rookie year, a significant increase from previous scales, following a new collective bargaining agreement that also raised the league's salary cap to $7 million.
The new agreement has enabled the league's first million-dollar contracts and a substantial pay bump for both veterans and newcomers. "It's nothing I could have imagined," Fudd stated, expressing her excitement about the draft and her reunion with Bueckers, whom she described as "an incredible player."
Olivia Miles was selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx, earning $466,913. Center Awa Fam Thiam of Spain was drafted by the Seattle Storm with a $436,016 salary. The draft saw multiple players from top programs like UCLA and UConn selected, with several trades also occurring, including one involving LSU guard Flau’Jae Johnson.
Every drafted player entering the regular season will earn more than any WNBA player did in the 2025 season, with a new minimum salary of $270,000, exceeding last year's maximum. Lauren Betts was selected by the Washington Mystics with the fourth pick.