DHJ Quick Take: Azzi Fudd Translates Business Summit Lessons to WNBA Platform
- The Business of Branding: Off the court, rookie guard Azzi Fudd is reshaping her approach to industry partnerships by leaning into a rigorous business background. After graduating from UConn in three years and recently finishing her Master’s in Business, the No. 1 overall pick is prioritizing total operational control over her deals and treating herself as an independent corporate entity.
- The Curry Blueprint: Fudd credited NBA icon Stephen Curry for serving as a crucial macro business mentor. After sitting in on a strategy summit detailing his overarching business ecosystem, Thirty Ink, Fudd noted that seeing a professional athlete completely anchor and dictate multifaceted corporate partnerships completely shifted how she maps out her long-term platform off the floor.
- Intentional Selectivity: This institutional business knowledge has altered how Fudd filters commercial opportunities. She now applies strict, selective filters to ensure her name aligns only with organizations that match her core principles.
- Controlling the Narrative: A foundational pillar of Fudd’s expanding platform is direct content creation. By anchoring her own podcast, the rookie has established an autonomous media space that allows her to completely control her personal story, showcase her distinct personality, and select exactly who shares her platform.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Azzi Fudd thought she knew Stephen Curry. Then she sat in on a summit for his companies and realized how much of his work has nothing to do with basketball.
The Dallas Wings rookie, who had Curry as a guest on her podcast, said the Golden State Warriors star has become a mentor, on and off the court. She said attending an event for his businesses changed how she thinks about her own career.
“He’s been an incredible person for me to look up to and really a mentor for me. When you work out with him, he just makes you better,” Fudd said. “I was fortunate enough to attend what was almost like a business summit for all of his companies, and it was my first time realizing there’s so much more than just basketball.”
Fudd said the scope of Curry’s ventures caught her off guard.
“It was his 30 Ink, all these different businesses and partnerships. I couldn’t even name all the things he’s involved with, but I was in awe because I knew Steph Curry the basketball player, but I didn’t realize how many different things he had his hands in,” Fudd said. “Seeing how involved he was in every aspect of his business and seeing everyone come together to lay out plans, that was really cool for me to see.”
Azzi Fudd Finished A Master’s In Business
The interest is more than casual. Fudd said she graduated from UConn in three years and completed a master’s in business this year. What started as a personal goal, she said, has become a genuine interest as she has learned how the industry around an athlete works.
“At first I wanted it just because I thought it’d be cool to say I had my master’s,” Fudd said. “But with everything going on, having NIL since college and having agents help me with things, now that I understand a little more of the business side, I’m interested in it and understanding how important it is to be in control of your deals and understand yourself as a business.”
Fudd said she still wants a team around her, but she wants to understand what that team does.
“Obviously, I want a team around me because I can’t do all this alone, but I also want to learn from them and pick their brains,” Fudd said, “so I know what’s going on behind the scenes and not just have everything controlled for me.”
Building Her Own Platform
Fudd has built a public platform through podcasts and content, and she said the reach has changed how she approaches partnerships. Early on, she said, she took the deals that came. Now she can be selective.
“When I look back, it’s pretty incredible to see how far I’ve come. Early on, it was just, ‘This brand reached out, they want to do a deal,’ and it was like, ‘Sure,'” Fudd said. “Now I get to be picky. I can say, ‘I don’t really love what they stand for,’ or ‘That’s not a brand I feel comfortable putting my name next to.'”
Fudd said her podcast gives her a measure of control over her own story.
“Having my own podcast is cool because I get to choose who I talk to and what we talk about,” Fudd said, “and I get to show a different side of who I am and my personality.”
Fudd, the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, and the Wings host the Washington Mystics on Monday in the finale of a three-game homestand.
Up Next
The Wings close their three-game homestand Monday against the Washington Mystics at College Park Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT on Peacock.
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