Azzi Fudd injury leaves Wings facing alarming reality before Fever rematch originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Wings have learned just how valuable Azzi Fudd is during her rookie season. Fudd has missed six games because of injuries, including Dallas’ last five while dealing with a right knee issue. The Wings’ results without the No. 1 overall pick have exposed a troubling problem at a critical point in the season.
Dallas is 19-11 when Fudd plays and just 1-5 without her. That translates to a .633 winning percentage with the rookie guard and a .167 mark when she is unavailable. Fudd was ruled out of Monday’s matchup against the Golden State Valkyries, which ended in another Dallas loss. The Wings fell to 20-16 and remained in eighth place in the WNBA standings.
Dallas still has some breathing room in the playoff race, but its dependence on Fudd is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Azzi Fudd remains out with right knee injuryFudd has not played since Dallas’ 96-92 loss to the Washington Mystics on Aug. 5. She finished that game with nine points, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes. The Wings initially listed Fudd with right knee soreness after she experienced discomfort during pregame warmups ahead of an Aug. 7 matchup against Golden State. Dallas held her out as a precaution, but the absence has since extended to five consecutive games.
She was officially listed as out for Monday’s rematch with the Valkyries.
The extended absence naturally creates concern because Fudd dealt with multiple significant knee injuries during her college career at UConn. Dallas, however, has not announced a major setback or provided a firm timetable for her return. Fudd had progressed to full-contact work before remaining unavailable, suggesting the Wings are being cautious with their prized rookie rather than rushing her back for the stretch run.
That patience is understandable. The statistical difference without her makes it difficult. Fudd is averaging 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists through 30 appearances. She also has made 2.1 3-pointers per game while emerging as one of Dallas’ most important floor-spacers.
Her gravity opens driving lanes for Paige Bueckers and creates additional room for Arike Ogunbowale. Without Fudd threatening defenses away from the ball, opponents can devote more attention to Dallas’ other scorers.
Wings struggling to replace Fudd’s impactWings win percentage this season:
63.3% — with Azzi Fudd
16.7% — without Azzi Fudd pic.twitter.com/VZfJSkq4b3
The Wings’ 1-5 record without Fudd does not mean every loss can be blamed on one absence. Dallas also has navigated injuries to Jessica Shepard and Aziaha James during the same stretch. Still, Fudd provides a combination the Wings cannot easily replicate.
She is an elite perimeter shooter who can punish defenders in transition or sprint through screens in the half court. Her quick release forces defenses to remain attached to her, even when she is not touching the ball.
Fudd also has contributed defensively, averaging 1.8 steals per game. Her activity on the perimeter helps Dallas create transition opportunities rather than relying entirely on half-court execution.
Bueckers continues to carry a substantial offensive burden. The fellow UConn product is averaging 20.5 points and 5.8 assists during her second WNBA season, but Dallas cannot expect her to solve every problem alone.
Ogunbowale, Shepard and the rest of the Wings’ supporting cast will need to provide more consistent production for as long as Fudd remains sidelined.
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Will Azzi Fudd play against the Fever?Dallas will host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at 8 p.m. ET Thursday at American Airlines Center. The nationally televised game will stream on Prime Video. It will be the second meeting between the teams in less than a week. Indiana defeated Dallas on Friday as Fudd watched from the sideline.
Fudd’s status for the rematch has not been determined. Dallas’ next official injury report should provide more clarity, but the rookie’s recent progress offers at least some reason for optimism. The Wings enter the closing stretch with eight games remaining and a 4.5-game advantage over the ninth-place Portland Fire. That cushion makes a complete collapse unlikely, but Dallas has bigger ambitions than simply holding onto the final playoff position.
The Wings have looked like a dangerous postseason team when Fudd is healthy. Without her, they have played like a team vulnerable to being caught. Dallas cannot control exactly when its rookie will receive medical clearance. Until that happens, the Wings must find a way to prove that their season does not rest entirely on Fudd’s right knee.
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