Azzi Fudd may face WNBA fine for latest comments

The Dallas Wings selected former UConn star Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13.

Fudd seamlessly fit in with the Wings at training camp last month, and she already feels comfortable enough to speak her mind about how uncomfortable she is with WNBA officiating.

“Honestly, I feel more confused,” Fudd told reporters after the Wings’ 101-84 preseason loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. “Like, 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 [be hands off]. I’m still figuring that out.”

Second-year guard Aziaha James and veteran forward Jessica Shepard couldn’t contain their laughter as Fudd spoke.

James patted Fudd on the back, while Shepard said, “Yeah, you’re still figuring this out, too, because you may get hit with a fine.”

Fudd is new to this, but criticizing WNBA officiating is not new at all. The WNBA regularly fines players for public criticism of its officials, though the league doesn’t disclose the fine amounts. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been fined several times and said she was fined $1,500 last August.

Last July, then-Chicago Sky All-Star forward Angel Reese, now with the Atlanta Dream, said that officiating “has to be fixed,” adding, “I don’t give a damn if I get fined because that [expletive] is cheap, and I’m tired of this [expletive].”

ESPN’s Maria Lawson published an in-depth report about the issue, in which veteran guard Natasha Cloud said, “I also think that there needs to be a [expletive] fine placed on referees for missed calls, right? If I can get a technical in the game for my emotions, I think the referees should be able to be reprimanded for their mistakes, too.”

Unfortunately, it appears that officiating will remain a predominant storyline for the 2026 season. The Wings will travel to Indiana to face the Fever in their regular-season opener next Saturday, May 9, at 1 p.m. EST.

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