Rusty Weiss
Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd is already questioning WNBA officiating after just two preseason games. That’s preseason. Not regular season. Because she hasn’t played any of those.
Fudd admits she’s more confused about the league’s tight whistle than when she first arrived so long ago.
The No. 1 overall pick made the comments following Dallas’ 101-84 preseason victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Reporters asked her about adjusting to the physicality of the pro game.
“Honestly, I’m more confused,” Fudd said. “I thought you could be physical in the W and anytime you touch someone, it’s a foul. So I’m not really sure whether to be physical, whether to—I don’t know. I’m still figuring that out.”
Fudd’s Honest Take Leaves Teammates Laughing
Her response drew laughs from teammates in the press conference, with veteran forward Jessica Shepard jokingly warning the rookie that she might get fined for the comments.
Azzi Fudd had her teammates laughing when she was asked about how she’s adjusting to the physicality in the WNBA:
— Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) May 4, 2026
“Honestly I’m more confused. I thought you could be physical in the W and anytime you touch someone, it’s a foul.”
Jessica Shepherd and Aziaha James joked that she… pic.twitter.com/HfzC7yGNkT
You can be physical, for sure. Just ask Caitlin Clark, who, after spending much of her sophomore season on the bench with injury issues, was greeted in just her second preseason game with 13 trips to the free-throw line, including a flagrant foul.
Fudd’s candid assessment comes amid a league-wide conversation about officiating that carried over from last season, when multiple players and coaches — including Napheesa Collier, Cheryl Reeve, and Clark — were fined for criticizing refs.
A league source told Front Office Sports that the rookie is not expected to face a fine for her remarks.
Prior to her candid remarks on officiating, Fudd’s biggest off-court headache had been the relentless media scrutiny surrounding her personal relationship with teammate Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers drew a line in the sand with reporters, issuing an opening statement that made things quite clear.
“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own,” she insisted. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us.”
The WNBA regular season tips off this weekend, giving Fudd and the rest of the league little time to adjust to the current standard of play.
