ARLINGTON, Texas — Azzi Fudd and Aziaha James did not practice Wednesday. Fudd is dealing with a right knee injury. James has a lower left leg injury. Reporters watched a five-on-five session, and neither guard was in it.
Wings coach José Fernández declined to provide an update on either guard afterward and said he had nothing new to share.
Dallas hosts the Indiana Fever on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center.
Azzi Fudd Has Missed Five Straight Games For Dallas Wings
Fudd last played Aug. 5 at the Washington Mystics. Two nights later she went through warmups before the home game against the Golden State Valkyries, felt soreness in the right knee, and did not play. She has since sat out against Golden State, the Minnesota Lynx, the Toronto Tempo, Indiana, and Golden State again. Thursday would be her sixth consecutive absence and her seventh of the season.
On Aug. 12, Fernández described the process as a return-to-play protocol and pointed to the collaboration between the coaching staff, the front office, the team’s data scientists, and its sports medicine and strength and conditioning departments. Before Friday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, he said Fudd had gone through shootaround.
Fudd tore the ACL and medial meniscus in her right knee in November 2023 at UConn. She missed the remainder of that season.
Dallas took Fudd first overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft in April. Through 30 games and 24 starts, she has averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 31.7 minutes. She is shooting 45.6% from the field, 39.7% from 3-point range, and 82.6% from the free-throw line. She has also averaged 1.7 steals. Fudd scored a career-high 26 points against the Seattle Storm and won the 3-Point Contest at All-Star weekend.
Aziaha James Has Not Played Since Aug. 12
James was hurt in the second half of the Aug. 12 win over Toronto at College Park Center. She went down attempting to take a charge, left the floor with help from the training staff, and was ruled out for the rest of the night. Dallas added her to the status report the next day.
James did not travel for the two-game road trip. Fernández said before the Aug. 14 game in Indianapolis that the team would have an update on her once it returned to Dallas.
The Wings selected James 12th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft out of NC State. In 34 games this season, with 2 starts, she has averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 11.5 minutes. Three days before the injury, James scored a season-high 19 points off the bench at Minnesota on 7-of-10 shooting and added 6 rebounds.
Dallas Wings Host Indiana Fever In Series Finale
Dallas is 20-16 and fourth in the Western Conference with eight games left. The Wings have lost two in a row and five of seven. Jessica Shepard returned Monday at Chase Center after missing two games with a right ankle injury.
Thursday is the third and final regular-season meeting between the teams. Dallas won the opener 107-104 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 9. Indiana won 98-87 on Aug. 14. The Fever are 24-12 and lead the Eastern Conference.
The game is the third the Wings have played at American Airlines Center this season. Dallas beat the Chicago Sky 96-91 there on July 12 and lost to Golden State 94-76 there on Aug. 7. The Wings are 10-6 at home overall.
Dallas signed Christyn Williams to a Developmental Player contract on Aug. 14. The Wings host the Seattle Storm on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT. Thursday’s tip-off streams on Prime Video and airs locally on WFAA.
