Azzi Fudd checked in for 28 minutes Wednesday and matched her career high with 12 points in the Dallas Wings’ win over the Chicago Sky, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.
After the game, coach Cori Close singled out Fudd’s defense on the opposing point guard, saying, "Well, it’s interesting. I was watching the game last night, and all of those things that you just mentioned are phenomenal things and great markers, But what she did to take out the other point guard defensively adds a defensive prowess that I’m not sure they have when she’s not on the floor. I think that’s something that she really brings to the table." Fudd spent long stretches guarding Skylar Diggins, who finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.
The numbers underline why Fudd’s minutes have felt consequential. Through four games she is averaging 8.8 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist in 22.5 minutes per contest while shooting 62.5 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from 3-point range and a perfect 100 percent from the free-throw line. Her 70.3 percent true shooting percentage leads the Wings, and her cumulative plus-33 is the highest on the roster over that span.
Fudd’s two recent 12-point outings bookend a small but fast-developing run: she matched her career high with 12 points in Dallas’ 92-69 home win over the Washington Mystics on May 18 and did it again against Chicago. The Sky’s Jacy Sheldon, meanwhile, managed just two points on 1-of-4 shooting in 21 minutes against Dallas, a sign of the specific matchups that have tilted toward the Wings when Fudd is on the floor.
Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, says the toughest adjustments so far have been mental. "I guess not surprised me. I think I was really fortunate in a sense that I’ve had so many teammates go before me, and I’ve gotten a chance to talk to them, hear from them, learn from them what their experience was like, But you can hear and learn as much as you can, but it’s a different thing to actually go through it," she said.
Close placed those comments into a broader evaluation of how Fudd might be used. "She obviously — I think I saw a stat the other day that she was leading the entire league in her mid-range shooting percentage. And, you know, she is an excellent player, And I just think the expectation of whether they start, how many minutes — I mean, this is a huge transition. Azzi Fudd will be a major impact player for the Dallas Wings as the year goes on." The coach’s observation frames the immediate decision the Wings face: how to balance Fudd’s efficient scoring and disruptive perimeter defense with rotation needs across a young roster.
The tension is clear. Fudd’s raw per-minute production and team-leading true shooting point to an obvious upside, but the coaching staff must still decide a stable role — starter, sixth-woman, or a flexible combo — during a period where every minute affects matchups and development. She’s already logging more minutes than her 22.5-game average in individual contests, but her sustained role remains unresolved.
Given the facts on the floor — back-to-back 12-point games, elite early shooting splits and the plus-33 impact when she plays — the reasonable conclusion is that Fudd’s value will be measured not just by points but by the matchup problems and defensive balance she creates for Dallas. If she keeps producing at this efficiency and handling tough assignments like Diggins, she will be more than a rookie curiosity; she will be a central piece of the Wings’ season-long plans.
