Azzi Fudd added another line to a resume that already reads like a highlight reel.
The Dallas Wings guard and St. John’s College High School graduate won the State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest on Friday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, putting up 30 points in the final round to take the title. Afterward, the Northern Virginia native said she was stunned to learn she was the first rookie ever to win the event.
"Yeah, I was shocked," said Fudd. "That's crazy. To be the first is definitely an honor."
Fudd’s win fits into a career that has been full of firsts. Earlier this year, she became the first DMV native selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft.
Her high school years at St. John’s in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference were just as decorated.
In 2019, Fudd was named the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year after leading St. John’s to a 35-1 record and a District of Columbia State Athletic Association tournament championship. She also made history as the first high school sophomore to win the award.
Her connection to elite shooting goes back even further. Before her sophomore season at St.
John’s, Fudd was one of the first girls invited to the SC30 Select Camp, Steph Curry’s offseason training camp, and she won the camp’s three-point shooting competition. After Friday’s win, she made sure Curry knew she still wants another shot.
"Steph, if your listening, I've been asking for a rematch since high school so maybe this is a good time to figure out a time and a place," said Fudd.
Fudd had plenty of support around her at Wintrust Arena, including her parents, Tim Fudd and Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd, plus her Dallas Wings teammates and UCONN teammates. She said the shooting touch runs in the family.
Both of her parents played basketball. Tim Fudd played at American University, while Katie Smrcka-Duffy played at North Carolina State and Georgetown before being selected by the Sacramento Monarchs with the 62nd pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft.
"I definitely get my shot from my parents," said Fudd. "My shot looks identical to my mom if you look at pictures of her playing."
Fudd was one of several local names tied to WNBA All-Star Weekend. Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia were also represented by Shakira Austin, Jonquel Jones, Rebekka Brunson and Angel Reese.
Brunson, who attended Oxon Hill High School in Maryland, is now an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx. She is the only player in league history to win five WNBA championships, and she also made five WNBA All-Star teams. Her No. 32 has been retired by the Lynx.
Austin, a Fredericksburg, Virginia native and Riverdale Baptist School product, helped Team Washington win the 2026 Kia WNBA Shooting Stars competition. She was joined on that team by former Washington Mystic Elena Delle Donne and Team Durant’s Jezelle "GG" Banks.
Banks, a combo guard who transferred from Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware last year to St. James Performance Academy in Springfield, Virginia, is a five-star prospect in the Class of 2027. Her list of Division I offers includes LSU, South Carolina, UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and Maryland.
In Other News...
Archbishop Spalding Goalie Makes A College Choice Maryland Fans Will Notice
Archbishop Spalding goalie Gavin McCormack has made his college choice, and it fits the kind of balanced decision high school lacrosse families talk about all the time. He is set to continue both his academic and lacrosse career at Catholic University of America, drawn in part by the schools engineering program, the smaller class sizes and the chance to study in Washington, D.C.
McCormack also pointed to the early connection he felt with head coach Peter Donley and the athletic administration, which mattered as much as the classroom fit. For Maryland lacrosse watchers, it is another reminder of how often Baltimore-area Catholic school talent finds its way to Catholic, a pipeline that keeps producing players who value both the sport and the school itself. [Read more 🡒]