Overview:
Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd scored a career-high 24 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead the team to a 91-76 win over the New York Liberty. Fudd's performance helped the Wings overcome a slow start to the game, and the team went on to outscore the Liberty 28-17 in the third quarter. Dallas' Paige Bueckers also scored 24 points, while Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points and five assists. The Wings improved to 4-3 on the season with the win, and will return home to face the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday.
The game slowed down for Azzi Fudd Sunday afternoon. Then she blew past the New York Liberty.
Fudd erupted for 24 points at Barclays Center, leading the Dallas Wings past the Liberty 91-76 on the road. The rookie knocked down six 3-pointers, pacing Dallas’ road takeover and putting together a career-high performance after setting a clear goal for herself.
“My goal today was just to play a little bit slower,” Fudd said after the game. “I felt like I was rushing a little bit every time I caught the ball.”
Instead, Fudd let the game come to her.
The third quarter was a different story. Instead of rushing, Fudd settled down and let shots come. Dallas outscored New York 28-17 behind her. Fudd alone scored 17 points, tying for the second-most points by a rookie in a quarter since the WNBA went to quarters in 2006.
After Satou Sabally cut Dallas’ lead to one, 52-51, early in the quarter, the Wings responded with an 11-0 run. Three of those baskets were Fudd 3-pointers. The crowd at Barclays Center quickly went silent. By the time Fudd missed her fourth straight three with 3:44 to play, she had already matched the Liberty’s third-quarter scoring total by herself.
“So my goal was just to slow down,” Fudd said. “My teammates are setting great screens, giving me great passes. And so, reading what was there.”
“Obviously to keep shooting, but that’s what I’ve been hearing the last however many games I’ve been playing,” Fudd said. “Every game, they’re just — they’ve been instilling confidence in me even when I’ve been missing all my threes. So to have them believe in me when I was missing and then to finally make some tonight felt really good.”
Dallas needed every ounce of confidence it could muster on Sunday against Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, with Ionescu making her season debut after suffering a left foot injury in preseason. Dallas came into Sunday still looking for consistency seven games into Jose Fernandez’s inaugural season as head coach. They left Brooklyn with a sense of identity and their first road win over New York since July 19, 2023.
What they left with was each other.
“We played really connected, really together on both sides of the floor,” Paige Bueckers said.
Bueckers joined Fudd in the scoring column with 24 points of her own, adding a season-high six rebounds on the day. She scored Dallas’ final 11 points of the game and finished 8-for-8 from the free throw line late to seal things away. Arike Ogunbowale scored 19 points and dished out five assists while hitting five triples herself. Jessica Shepard posted another double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Awak Kuier continued her strong weekend by dropping 10 points, grabbing six rebounds and blocking two shots off the bench.
Dallas made 42.9% of its 3-point attempts and assisted on 22 of its 30 made field goals. The Wings also won the fast-break battle 17-10 and recorded 38 points from their bench. Fernandez said the difference for Dallas was growth following an inconsistent road trip.
“This is a very tough place to come in and win,” Fernandez said. “Really proud of the group.”
Dallas recorded one of its best defensive halves of the season after halftime. Fernandez said the team’s halftime focus centered around defense. Dallas held New York to 32 points after halftime and finished the game limiting Ionescu to one made field goal after the 5:11 mark of the second quarter.
“The team that decided to defend, and continue to score on the other end, that was going to be the team that won,” Fernandez said. “That was us.”
Fudd wasn’t just cooking from beyond the arc, either. She finished with three steals, two blocks and frequently found herself switched onto Stewart and Ionescu. Dallas played small at times Sunday and still matched New York on the glass, 34-34.
“Her hands are so active,” Fernandez said. “She has such great instincts that you just can’t teach.”
Dallas’ rookie is beginning to match what her head coach sees.
As recently as Friday’s win over Chicago, Fudd spoke about adjusting to WNBA speed, size and physicality. Dallas continues to give its rookie guard looks and freedom through the ups and downs, something both Ogunbowale and Bueckers pointed to following Dallas’ win.
“We need her to be aggressive like this,” Ogunbowale said. “Shoot the ball whenever she’s open.”
Bueckers agreed.
“We need her and we know she’s more than capable of doing stuff like this on any given night,” Bueckers said. “I think that’s just what the future looks like.”
Fudd and that future looked fearsome Sunday. Dallas as a whole excelled Sunday. It was a statement win from start to finish.
The Wings improved to 4-3 on the season, 3-1 on the road. More importantly, Dallas may have just found what works with its three-guard lineup. Fudd can pressure defenses off movement. Ogunbowale can attack and punish the defense when it rotates. Bueckers can run the team and knock down free throws when the game slows down.
“As long as we play together, we can cover up anything,” Fudd said. “Whether it’s size, any disadvantage people see.”
Dallas will return home for its next game, welcoming the Las Vegas Aces to Arlington on Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will stream on Prime.