{"id":2426,"date":"2026-06-18T12:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2426"},"modified":"2026-06-18T12:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:36:12","slug":"top-draft-pick-azzi-fudd-bottled-up-by-valkyries-in-steph-currys-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2426","title":{"rendered":"Top draft pick Azzi Fudd bottled up by Valkyries in Steph Curry\u2019s building"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p><span>SAN FRANCISCO \u2013 Azzi Fudd spent her collegiate career playing home games at UConn\u2019s hallowed Gampel Pavilion, and her rookie season with the Dallas Wings has taken her around the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2424\">California offers free passes to more than 30 state historic parks<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>But getting a chance to play in Ballhalla \u2013 better-known as Chase Center \u2013 was a special occasion for the first overall pick in this year\u2019s WNBA Draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m super-excited, and even like seeing the Warriors logo around here, it\u2019s like \u2018Wow, Steph plays here,\u2019\u201d Fudd said during a pregame interview.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Valkyries seemed equally-excited to welcome the rookie to the league\u2019s most intimidating road environment, and succeeded in stifling the young guard. She shot just 4 of 13 and scored 10 points, all in the second half.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Her coach saw the rough outing as a learning experience for one of UConn\u2019s stars of their 2025 National Championship team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou can pull a lot from wins, and from losses,\u201d Jose Fernandez said. \u201cIt\u2019s about how you respond.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If there is any athlete in the Bay Area who can show Fudd how to bounce back from a bad loss, it is Curry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fudd and Curry\u2019s relationship goes back almost a decade, back when a 15-year-old Fudd was an elite high school prospect. It was difficult for Curry not to notice and respect a fellow sharpshooter.<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a shooter\u2019s heaven when you watch that,\u201d Curry told ESPN in 2023. \u201cI kind of get jealous about it, because it looks prettier than mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She became the first collegiate player to sign an NIL deal with Curry\u2019s brand in 2021, a partnership that lasted until March of this year, when Fudd joined Nike.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2413\">Man charged with killing estranged wife in San Jose while facing stalking charge<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite Fudd now representing a new brand, the two remain tight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even if Curry never went to a UConn game \u2013 Fudd ribbed him about it on a recent podcast \u2013 she still enthusiastically joined him at his 2025 skills camp as a coach.<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cIt\u2019s incredible to see just how much it\u2019s grown, and how much is really put into this,\u201d Fudd told the Bay Area News Group. \u201cAnd you know, his inviting an equal amount of girls, I think, is incredible and just shows the kind of person he is, and how he really means what he talks about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fudd struggled to find separation against a high-level Valkyries defense, but still flashed the shooting stroke that has long captivated the basketball world. She splashed 2 of 5 3-point attempts, showcasing a compact form that takes only a few milliseconds to load and fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m just going to take what the defense gives me, and if the three is there, then I\u2019m going to take it,\u201d Fudd said before the game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Though she likely will not win the Rookie of the Year award thanks to Olivia Miles\u2019 incendiary play, Fudd has been solid nonetheless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She entered Wednesday\u2019s game averaging 12.9 points on 52.7% from the field and 38.6% from behind the arc as the starting shooting guard next to fellow star Paige Bueckers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Wings travel to the Bay Area again on Aug. 17, and it would be no surprise if Fudd has improved immensely by that time as she strives to evolve into a truly unstoppable scorer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201c(It\u2019s just about) being patient, taking a deep breath, not forcing things, and reading the defense,\u201d Fudd said. \u201cI like to be able to score at all three levels, so if you take one away from me, the next is there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2411\">Dowd: Jeffrey Epstein haunts the White House<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steph Curry has mentored Azzi Fudd since she was a teenager<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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