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The highly anticipated 30th season of the WNBA kicked off Friday with three games, including the first-ever contest for the expansion Toronto Tempo.
The action continued Saturday with a full roster, including the return of Caitlin Clark after an injury-riddled sophomore season.
Clark and the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings on Saturday afternoon in a game featuring the four most recent No. 1 overall picks. The Wings outlasted the Fever 107-104, but the game was defined by the disappointing debut of Azzi Fudd – the most recent first-round pick.
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Dallas Wings guards Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers react during the first half of the Fever season opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on May 9, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Fudd played 18 minutes off the bench, scoring three points – the fewest ever by a No. 1 overall pick in her WNBA debut.
Wings coach Jose Fernandez spoke about Fudd’s performance after the game, encouraging the rookie to: “Keep doing what she’s doing, it’s her first year in the league. We have five really talented players in the backcourt.”
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In addition to Fudd, Dallas’ backcourt includes Paige Bueckers, last year’s top draft pick, Asiaha James, last season’s No. 12 overall pick, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and starting guard Odyssey Sims.
Until Saturday, Kelsey Plum held the record for lowest scoring debut by a No. 1 pick. Selected first overall by the San Antonio Stars in 2017, she scored just four points in her debut. The Stars moved to Las Vegas in 2018 and were later renamed the Aces.
Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd warms up before the game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 9, 2026. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Despite the slow start to his first season in the league, Plum finished the year with All-Rookie team honors. In the years that followed, she was named to four All-Star teams and won two championships with the Aces.
The Wings’ decision to select Fudd as the first overall pick sparked controversy, raising questions about whether Bueckers’ personal relationship with her influenced the selection. Late last month, Bueckers said no.
Azzi Fudd poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed in New York on April 13, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)
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“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 pick in the draft because she earned it, and it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being, who she is as a basketball player,” Bueckers said, according to ESPN.
Neither Bueckers nor Fudd have publicly updated their relationship status since April’s draft.
“Frankly, I believe that my personal relationship with Azzi is no one’s business but ours,” Bueckers also said in April. “And what we choose to share is entirely up to us.”
Next, the Wings will play their home opener on Tuesday when they host the Atlanta Dream.
