Rookie Azzi Fudd to miss rest of WNBA season after right knee surgery

Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick, will undergo right knee surgery and miss the rest of the 2025 season.

Azzi Fudd, the most coveted prospect in this year's WNBA draft, will not play again this season after the Dallas Wings announced she needs a procedure on her right knee. The 23-year-old had already missed the Wings' last five games due to right knee soreness before the decision to pursue surgery was made. Fudd was selected first overall by Dallas in the 2025 draft and had been playing her debut professional season with a Wings team that has been in playoff contention. Her absence removes a key piece from that playoff push. No timeline for her return has been reported, though the procedure is expected to resolve the knee issue that has sidelined her in the latter stretch of the regular season.

Why it matters

Losing the No. 1 overall pick to season-ending surgery is a significant blow to the Wings' playoff ambitions and delays what was expected to be a marquee rookie campaign for one of the WNBA's most anticipated young players.

What's next

Watch whether the Wings can maintain their playoff position without Fudd for the remainder of the regular season.

Key facts

• Azzi Fudd is 23 years old and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft
• She will undergo a procedure on her right knee
• Fudd had already missed the Wings' last five games due to right knee soreness before the surgery decision
• The Wings were in playoff contention at the time of the announcement
• No return timeline has been publicly reported

Bias & framing notes

Both sources agree on the core facts — surgery, right knee, and missing the rest of the season. The Guardian emphasizes the Wings' playoff position and frames it as a 'promising debut season,' while Yahoo Sports focuses more narrowly on the injury history, noting the five missed games due to soreness. Neither source provides a specific return timeline or surgical details.

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