WNBA star honors Nuggets legend on his birthday

Azzi Fudd made sure Dikembe Mutombo’s birthday didn’t go unnoticed.

The Hall of Famer’s reach clearly still stretches across generations — and now across leagues. Fudd, who grew up around Washington D.C., where she starred in high school before her storied college career, picked one of basketball’s most beloved figures to spotlight on a national stage.

The tribute, though, was the highlight of an otherwise rough night. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft out of UConn was held to just seven points as Dallas fell 99-84 to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. The Aces, still the class of the league, never trailed by much and pulled away late.

Fudd will have plenty of nights to find her footing as a pro. Thursday wasn’t it, but her fashion choice gave the WNBA-less Denver fans something to smile about.

Mutombo spent five seasons with the Nuggets, more than any of his six NBA stops, suiting up 391 times and famously anchoring the eighth-seeded squad that stunned the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics in 1994. His No. 55 hangs in the rafters at Ball Arena.

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year ranks 20th in NBA history in rebounds (12,359) and second all time in blocks (3,289), trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon. He remains Denver’s franchise leader in blocks and rebounds per game.

The finger wag lives on.