After initial struggles, Azzi Fudd seems to have finally arrived in her rookie WNBA season. The No. 1 draftee showcased flashes of her skillset against opponents like the Chicago Sky and the Washington Mystics early on. But it was the game on Sunday against the New York Liberty where she came alive, even surpassing teammate Paige Bueckers’ record and prompting her to react.
Coming off the bench, Fudd scored a season-high 24 points in her team’s 91-76 win. Her point tally included six three-pointers, which is a franchise record for the most 3’s scored in a single game by a rookie. Bueckers, who previously held the record, said via NBC that it was just a matter of time before Fudd showcased her sharpness from the three-point line.
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“Just an aggressive nature,” Bueckers said. “It’s what we need her to be. It’s what we know she’s capable of. For her to hunt her shots, hunt her threes, but also be able to create and get deflections on the defensive end, she was huge. We had so many huge pieces step up this afternoon, but she was great.”
“It was probably a matter of time before she got going and get hot from the three-point line. So, yeah, records are meant to be broken. I’m happy she got that one,” Buckers added when specifically asked about Fuud surpassing her record.
Now, Fudd’s pinpoint accuracy from the deep shouldn’t be surprising at the moment. It has been kind of a staple for her ever since her UConn days. The No.1 draftee scored 292 three-pointers across her five years at Storrs, including 117 in her senior season. But after her transition to the pro circuit, Fudd wasn’t able to execute the same level of efficiency with her three-pointers.
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Before the game on Sunday, Azzi Fudd had scored just four times from beyond the arc this season. On the contrary, she made five in the third quarter alone against Liberty, which, as per Polymarket Hoops, is the most three-pointers scored by a rookie in a quarter in the history of the WNBA.
Fudd scored a combined 17 points in the third quarter. It also ties her for the second-most points in a single quarter by a rookie. She only trails behind Shoni Schimmel’s 20 points. The outing comes as a major relief for Fudd, who was under immense pressure to deliver for the Wings, given her high bid on the draft night.
She did manage a couple of double-figures in points, scoring 12 points each against the Mystics and Sky. But the performance on Sunday can reassure Fudd that she can dominate even at this highest level of the sport. And in doing that, Azzi Fudd had just one mantra: slow down her game.
“My goal was to just play a little bit slower,” Fudd said in the on-court interview with NBC after the game. “I felt like I was rushing a little bit every time I caught the ball, not reading. … I’m just putting the ball down and going too fast. So my goal was just to slow down.”
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Fudd’s mindset is perfectly reflected in her game. After checking in the game during the first quarter, the Wings guard had just 4 points until the third quarter. Furthermore, she even missed her first attempt at the three-pointer in the third. But she went on to score the next five.
And in turn, it helped her team build a substantial 10-point lead over Liberty going into the fourth quarter. Paige Bueckers, meanwhile, had an impressive game as well. The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year matched toe-to-toe with Fudd, concluding the night with 24 points as well.
Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard, and Awak Kuier also scored in double figures as the Wings return to winning ways. But beyond the win, the New York Liberty game also cleared up major doubts about the team’s front-office choices.
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Azzi Fudd: The Most Appropriate No.1Draft Pick Selection for the Dallas Wings?
Ever since the Dallas Wings picked Azzi Fudd as their No. 1 pick, doubters haven’t hesitated to point fingers at the team management. With Bueckers and Ogunbowale already filling up the perimeter spots, questions were raised over the team’s decision to stack up the roster with another guard like Fudd.
Fudd’s slow start to the season didn’t help either in this debate. In her season debut, she scored just 3 points in 18 minutes against the Indiana Fever. She followed it up by adding 8 points in 20 minutes against the Minnesota Lynx.
Against her, other top-10 draft picks like Olivia Miles and Flau’jae Johnson were killing it for their respective teams. Miles even set a WNBA record, becoming the fifth player to score at least 20 points and 5 assists in her first game of the rookie season (Miles scored 21 points and 8 assists).
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All of it just pushed back on the Dallas Wings’ decision to select Azzi Fudd as the No.1 draft pick. But head coach Jose Fernandez feels that Fudd’s performance against the New York Liberty might clarify the team’s decision.
“I’m really proud of her because she stayed the course. And she really showed on the national stage and in the bright lights,” Fernandez said in the post-game press conference. It’s a tough place to play, national TV. And I think now everyone knows why we took her number one.”
Notably, Azzi Fudd’s performance wasn’t just about precise three-point shooting, though. The Wings guard did a substantial job in guarding Sabrina Ionescu in the game and limited the latter’s contribution in the second half. On top of her 24 points, Fudd also recorded 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
She handled the ball perfectly, giving away just 1 turnover in the game. All in all, it was a complete performance from Fudd. With the momentum that she picked up from the game, such outings can be a regular occurrence going forward into the season for Fudd. The Wings’ next game is on May 28 against the Las Vegas Aces at the College Park Center.
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