UConn showing up at the top of the WNBA Draft has almost become routine as the Huskies get the number one pick for the second year in a row with Azzi Fudd going No. 1 to the Dallas Wings. Fudd becomes the seventh WNBA top pick for the Huskies, showing the success of the program as they continue to develop players ready for the professional stage. Fudd’s selection also captures something bigger: as salaries rise and the league gains visibility, players are entering a league that is finally evolving to meet them.
Recent increases in player salaries and league investment show a shift in the league that goes beyond draft night. After months of negotiations, the WNBA and Players’ Association finally signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement. This agreement promises revenue sharing, which was one of the biggest points the players proposed. The players will also now have increased salaries, with them ranging from $270,000 to $1.4 million, and each team’s cap will be at $7 million. The new deal also puts an increased focus on health and wellness by increasing medical staff requirements.
This year’s draft represented increasing opportunities as this year’s draft class enters the professional league at a moment marked by transformation. Draftees are entering the league at a time where they are finally getting recognized through monetization for their skills. For example, Fudd will receive a rookie salary six times greater than 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers due to the new deal signed. Bueckers earned $78,831 under her rookie season, while Fudd will earn about $500,000 under her rookie contract.
The growth of women’s basketball was also shown as UCLA set a record with five first-round picks in the draft. The Bruins continued their record-breaking year, after winning the national championship for the first time in Bruins’ history, with a record breaking six players drafted. Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice were selected No. 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Betts was drafted by the Washington Mystics; Jaquez was then picked by the Chicago Sky, followed by Rice who was the first draft pick made by the expansion Toronto Tempo. Quickly following Angela Dugalic became the fourth draft pick from UCLA at No. 9 joining Betts at the Mystics. The Bruins then officially made history when Gianna Kneepkens was drafted by the Connecticut Sun as the 15th and final pick of the first round. The Huskies previously held the first-round record when four players were drafted in the first round, but with the last pick of the first round, the Bruins topped the record. Charlisse Leger-Walker finished off the Bruins historic draft night, when she was picked in the second round by the Sun, joining Kneepkens.
This year’s WNBA Draft feels more like a reflection of how far the league has come and an ode to the previous draftees who have helped grow the league. From UConn’s continued dominance to UCLA’s record-breaking class, the talent entering the league is deeper and more prepared than ever. But for the first time, the infrastructure surrounding talent is beginning to catch up. With increased salaries, improved resources, and growing visibility, the WNBA is not just creating a space where players can continue their basketball careers but creating an environment where they can sustain long-term success. For elite players like Fudd and the rest of this year’s draft class, the transition to the professional level is no longer just about opportunity, but about entering a league that is finally built to support it, truly captured in this year’s draft.