Aggie Fudd explains how UConn helped prepare him for the WNBA
UConn’s Ajee Fudd explains how her alma mater is helping players like her prepare to go pro in the WNBA.
NEW YORK — After all the drama surrounding the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, it ended the way many expected before the college season began.
In fact, UConn All-American Aji Fuad was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft held at The Shed at Hudson Yards on Monday, April 13th. She becomes the seventh UW player to be selected first, joining Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Brianna Stewart and Wings teammate Paige Bakkers.
“I’m excited to be playing with Paige again, a great player, a great person,” Fudd told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after his selection.
Bueckers sat in the crowd with the entire UConn team. Fudd said he is grateful for the support of his teammates and family.
The 5-foot-11 shooting guard helped the school win 54 straight games over the past two seasons, including the 2025 All-America Championship where he was named Most Valuable Player. The Huskies’ winning streak ended this season with a loss to South Carolina in the national semifinals.
“It’s not how I wanted the season to end, but I think the biggest takeaway is how great my five years have been,” Fudd said when asked about college. “If you can learn from it and embrace every experience, wins and losses, tough practices, good and bad, you can grow from it.
“All those habits, that championship, that winning mentality, I have to be able to bring them back.”
Fudd averaged 14.7 points and shot 42.2% from 3-point range during his four years in college. This season, she averaged 17.3 points and 3.1 assists per game. Fudd finished his career with the highest free throw percentage in UConn history (92.5%).
“Everything we did, we did it with discipline and intensity,” Fudd said of what he learned from the Huskies. “We did it the right way. That winning mentality, that culture, the way we think… being able to read the defender, being able to learn the tendencies of the offensive players, and still being able to just play without being too restricted.”
Fudd was a first-team All-American and a finalist for both the Wood Award and the Naismith Trophy. She was also named to the All-Big East first team the past two seasons. Fudd can put up a lot of points, as he did in March when he scored 34 points, including eight 3-pointers, against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.
Fudd, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2021 class, has suffered several injuries during his career.
- April 2019: Fudd tears his ACL and MCL during the U.S. Under-18 3-on-3 Championship.
- As a college freshman (2021-22 season): Fudd missed 11 games as a freshman due to a foot injury.
- As a sophomore (2022-23 season): Fudd missed 22 games due to a knee injury sustained when a teammate took a knee in a game against Notre Dame in December.
- Junior (2023-24 season): Fudd tore his ACL and medial meniscus in his right knee during practice in November. A non-contact injury kept her out of two games.
When asked about becoming a professional basketball player, Fudd listed all the things he’s looking forward to in his next chapter.
“I feel like I can’t pinpoint one thing,” Fudd said. “No matter what happens next or where I end up, I have endless opportunities in front of me. I’m excited to go to a new city, learn from the players around me, play with great players, learn from the coaches, everything.”
