Azzi Fudd joins WNBA 3-point field as rare rookie shooter
The No. 1 pick is one of six players set for Friday’s WNBA All-Star 3-point contest in Chicago.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Azzi Fudd is getting an early crack at All-Star weekend hardware.
The WNBA announced Tuesday that the Dallas rookie and No. 1 pick will take part in Friday’s 3-point contest in Chicago, making her one of the few first-year players ever selected for the event.
Fudd will shoot against Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, Toronto’s Marina Mabrey, Portland’s Bridget Carleton, Seattle’s Natisha Hiedeman and Golden State’s Janelle Salaun, according to the league announcement reported by ESPN.
Her inclusion puts her in a tiny rookie club. ESPN reported that Fudd is only the fourth rookie in WNBA history to enter the 3-point shootout, following Kelsey Mitchell in 2018, Howard in 2022 and Sonia Citron in 2025.
No rookie has won the event, according to ESPN. Howard is the only rookie contestant who has reached the final round.
A field packed with volume shooters
Mabrey comes in with the hottest counting stat in the contest. ESPN reported that the Toronto guard leads the WNBA with 82 made 3-pointers this season.
She is also headed to her first All-Star Game this year. Earlier in the season, Mabrey tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points, a performance that included nine made 3s, matching the league mark for 3-pointers in one game, according to ESPN.
Howard is right behind her on the season leaderboard with 79 made 3s. Salaun ranks fifth with 67, Carleton is sixth with 65, Hiedeman is seventh with 57 and Fudd sits inside the top 10 with 50, according to ESPN.
All six contestants are among the league’s top 11 in made 3-pointers per game. ESPN reported that Mabrey leads the group at 3.3 per game, with Howard next at 3.2.
Howard and Mabrey are the only players in this year’s field who have previously appeared in the contest.
Some big names are sitting out
The defending champion will not be back. Sources told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou that Sabrina Ionescu was invited to participate but declined.
Those sources also told ESPN that Caitlin Clark and Kayla McBride, who both took part last year, were invited and declined as well.
How the contest works
The event will be decided over two timed rounds, according to ESPN’s description of the format. The top two scores from the opening round will move on to the championship round.
Each shooter will have racks at five main spots around the 3-point arc. Every rack includes five balls: four standard WNBA game balls worth one point each and one money ball worth two points.
Players also get one all-money-ball rack, with every shot on that rack worth two points. Each contestant may choose where to place that rack along the arc.
The format also includes two deeper pedestal shots called “from the logo” attempts, each worth three points.
The 3-point contest is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET during WNBA All-Star weekend in Chicago. ESPN reported that the Shooting Stars event will also be held that night, with more information expected later.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.