BROOKLYN, New York — 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.
