DHJ Quick Take: Paige Bueckers Outlines Azzi Fudd’s Inevitable Breakout
- The UConn Connection’s Verdict: Following a dominant 91-76 win in Brooklyn, sophomore star Paige Bueckers made it clear that rookie Azzi Fudd’s career-high 24-point explosion was no surprise, framing the franchise-record-setting display as an inevitable consequence of her elite shooting track record.
- Historic Perimeter Fireworks: Fudd demolished the Liberty defense by knocking down 6-of-12 from deep, shattering the Wings’ single-game franchise rookie record for 3-pointers. Her 17 third-quarter points tied for the second-most by a rookie in any single quarter in WNBA history.
- Pacing Shift Dictates Efficiency: Fudd highlighted that the key to her baseline explosion wasn’t a tactical coaching switch, but a deliberate personal decision to play slower, read screen angles patiently, and stop rushing her transition catch-and-shoot opportunities.
- Previewing the Franchise Floor Plan: Matchmaking Fudd’s 24 points with Bueckers’ own 24-point display, the duo offered a lethal preview of Dallas’ perimeter identity. Bueckers noted that instilling belief in Fudd’s elite shot-making capacity is exactly “what the future looks like” for the surging Wings offense.
BROOKLYN — Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers said rookie Azzi Fudd‘s breakout performance in the Wings’ 91-76 road win over the New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon was a matter of timing rather than surprise, pointing to her UConn teammate’s track record as evidence that the night was always coming.
Fudd scored a career-high 24 points off the bench on 9-of-15 shooting at Barclays Center, including 6-of-12 from three — a Wings franchise rookie record for 3-pointers in a single game. Bueckers, who matched Fudd’s 24 points and played five seasons alongside her at UConn, framed the performance as inevitable rather than revelatory.
“We knew she had this in her. We knew it was only a matter of time. It takes time as a rookie to get your legs under you, your feet going, and just get some experience and reps at it,” Bueckers said. “So it was only a matter of time before we knew the breakout was coming.”
Azzi Fudd’s Career Night
Fudd scored 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench, including 6-of-12 from three. She set the Wings franchise rookie record for 3-pointers in a single game and scored 17 of her 24 points in the third quarter — tied for the second-most by a rookie in any quarter since the WNBA transitioned to quarters in 2006 and the most by a rookie in a single quarter since Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard on May 15, 2022.
Fudd was a plus-22 in the win and started the second half after coming off the bench in the first.
The rookie attributed the third-quarter takeover to a deliberate change in tempo rather than any tactical adjustment from the coaching staff.
“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.”
What Azzi Fudd Represents for the Dallas Wings
Bueckers framed Sunday as a preview of what’s coming rather than the ceiling itself, treating Fudd’s role on the team as a foundational piece of where Dallas is headed.
“For us as teammates to instill that we need her, and we know she’s more than capable of doing stuff like this on any given night, I think that’s just what the future looks like,” Bueckers said.
Azzi Fudd Has Echoed the Same Confidence
Fudd has spoken throughout the season about Bueckers’ efficiency and shot-making as one of the easiest things to play off of in the Wings’ offense. Ahead of the Dream game, the rookie pointed to her teammate as the standard.
“I mean, I guess nothing’s really stood out. That’s just who I see when I see Paige. That’s what I expect from her, which I guess is kind of a bad thing to say, to expect that kind of efficiency and greatness,” Fudd said pregame. “But that really is just who she is, how she plays and the kind of player she is.”
Dallas Wings Host Las Vegas Aces Thursday
Bueckers is averaging 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 32.7 minutes per game through the Wings’ first seven contests. She is shooting 52.2% from the floor, 48.3% from three, and 80.6% from the free-throw line. Fudd is averaging 11.0 points in 23.8 minutes per game across six appearances, 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.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- ‘Took It Personal’: Jose Fernandez Credits Halftime Defensive Adjustment In Dallas Wings’ 91-76 Win Over New York Liberty
- ‘Play A Little Bit Slower’: Azzi Fudd Adjusts Approach To Shatter Dallas Wings’ Rookie Record vs. New York Liberty
- Paige Bueckers Names ‘Controllables’ That Define Dallas Wings Identity After Win Over New York Liberty
- Azzi Fudd On Dallas Wings’ Selfless Culture, Earning Her Time: ‘It Doesn’t Matter If I’m Starting’
- ‘The Numbers Don’t Lie’: Azzi Fudd’s Rookie Record, Dallas Wings’ Suffocating Second Half Power 91-76 Win Over New York Liberty
- Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty Postgame Interviews: Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Arike Ogunbowale And Jose Fernandez (May 24, 2026)
- ‘Felt Like She Had 25’: Awak Kuier Shows Dynamic Potential For Dallas Wings Amid Career-High vs. Atlanta Dream
- ‘Ready For Every Second’: How Li Yueru’s Positive Mindset Bolsters Dallas Wings’ Center Depth
- ‘Short-Term Memory’: Dallas Wings Fall 86-69 To Atlanta Dream As Rhyne Howard Drops 25 In Fourth-Quarter Pull-Away
- ‘You Have To Own The Glass’: How Dallas Wings Plan To Rewrite The Script In Atlanta Dream Rematch
