DHJ Quick Take: Pacing Adjustment and Two-Way Surge Fuel Azzi Fudd’s Historic Outing
- The Deliberate Pacing Shift: Following a stretch of inconsistent shooting, rookie guard Azzi Fudd unlocked her historic 24-point breakout performance against New York by intentionally slowing down her mental reads, footwork, and screen execution to counter aggressive defensive coverage.
- Shattering Rookie Bench Records: The No. 1 overall pick went 9-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-12 from deep in 32 minutes off the bench, setting the Wings’ franchise rookie record for single-game 3-pointers. Her 17-point blitz in the third frame tied for the second-most points scored by a rookie in any quarter in WNBA history.
- Elite Two-Way Impact at the Rim: Fudd complemented her perimeter production with structural defensive metrics, logging 3 steals and 2 blocks to anchor a team-high plus-22 rating. Her active deflections and backend positioning completely locked down Sabrina Ionescu, holding the Liberty star scoreless over the game’s final 25 minutes.
- Barclays Center Familiarity: Returning to the venue where she dropped 27 points during her collegiate career at UConn, Fudd channeled the electric, high-volume Brooklyn crowd energy to settle into an offensive flow and push the under-sized Wings backcourt rotation ahead in transition.
BROOKLYN — Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd said a deliberate decision to slow her decision-making down was the key to her career-high 24-point performance in the Wings’ 91-76 road win over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft shot 9-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-12 from three in 32 minutes off the bench, setting the Wings franchise rookie record for 3-pointers in a single game. Fudd scored 17 of her 24 points in the third quarter alone — tied for the second-most by a rookie in any quarter since the WNBA transitioned to quarters in 2006.
“My goal today was just to play a little bit slower. I felt like I was rushing a little bit every time I caught the ball. I wasn’t reading right away. I was just putting the ball down, going too fast,” Fudd said. “So my goal was just to slow down, and my teammates were setting great screens, giving me great passes. Reading what was there was the key tonight.”
Sticking With The Process
Fudd had gone through a stretch of inconsistent shooting nights leading into Sunday, including a 3-of-9 shooting performance in the Wings’ May 22 loss in Atlanta. She had spoken openly about her teammates and coaches continuing to back her through those games, treating the eventual breakout as a function of staying with the work.
“Obviously, to keep shooting, but that’s what I’ve been hearing the last however many games I’ve been playing — every game. They’ve been sticking with me and showing confidence in me, even when I’d been missing all my threes,” Fudd said. “So to have them believe in me when I was missing and then to finally make some tonight felt really good.”
Returning To Barclays Center
The setting carried its own significance for Fudd, who scored 27 points in the building for UConn against Iowa in December. The prior experience paid dividends through familiarity with the crowd energy rather than the floor itself.
“I mean, not that it feels like a home game, but having the experience of playing here before was really nice because this was a lot of fun. The atmosphere is incredible from when I was here with UConn, even more so tonight,” Fudd said. “Having that experience with the crowd — it gets super loud. Honestly, it was distracting. I wanted to dance because the crowd was going. I was locked in in the huddle, but it’s definitely a really fun crowd.”
A Two-Way Career Night
Fudd’s impact extended beyond the scoring line. She added 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, finishing the game a plus-22 — the best mark on the team. She also drew a primary on-ball defensive assignment against Sabrina Ionescu in the second half, with the Liberty star not scoring after the 5:11 mark of the second quarter and finishing 4-of-15 from the floor.
Head coach Jose Fernandez credited Fudd’s defensive instincts for the matchup decision.
“We talked about at halftime that we needed to put more pressure on her. If she brought it up the floor, trying to wear her down. I thought Azzi did a great job not only on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end on her,” Fernandez said.
Dallas Wings Host Las Vegas Aces Thursday
Fudd is averaging 11.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 23.8 minutes per game across her first six appearances. She is shooting 56.3% from the floor and 43.5% from three.
The Wings (4-3) host the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, May 28, at College Park Center. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CT on Prime.
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