Fudd’s third-quarter – Azzi Fudd poured in 17 points in the third quarter to help the Dallas Wings beat the New York Liberty 91-76 on Sunday. It was a coming-out moment at Barclays Center for the No. 1 pick, whose five third-quarter 3-pointers helped set the tone after Sabrina Iones
NEW YORK — Azzi Fudd wanted her game to slow down, to stop reacting and start reading. When she finally settled in, the Barclays Center crowd felt it immediately.
Fudd scored 17 of her season-best 24 points in the third quarter as the Dallas Wings rolled past the New York Liberty 91-76 on Sunday, turning a tight contest into a rout.
“My goal was to just play a little bit slower,” Fudd said. “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.”
The burst mattered because it wasn’t a random swing—it was sustained. Fudd’s 17 points in one quarter was tied for the second-most by a rookie in a quarter, trailing only the 20 Shoni Schimmel scored for Phoenix in her own rookie period.
Dallas coach Jose Fernandez saw it as more than production. “Really proud of her, stayed the course,” he said. “She showed on the national stage, bright lights, tough place to play on national TV. Now everyone knows why we took her No. 1.”
Fudd had the feel of someone returning home. She previously played at Barclays Center at UConn, and her comfort showed as soon as the third quarter arrived. She knocked down five 3-pointers in the period, including the one that went in off the bank as the Liberty ran out of answers.
Her six 3-pointers in the game broke the Dallas franchise record held by a few players.
In the first half, Fudd scored four points. She missed her first 3 of the third. then tightened everything from there—making her next five. banking in her last attempt. and finishing the stretch with a steal off Breanna Stewart followed by a layup to close out her scoring for the quarter. Her 17-point surge in the third quarter matched the total amount New York scored in the same period.
That timing was the difference. The Liberty could never recover once Dallas found its rhythm.
Fudd’s connection to this stage runs deeper than the box score. She scored 27 points for UConn last December when the Huskies routed Iowa at the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center, and the fan atmosphere felt familiar again on Sunday.
“The atmosphere is incredible from when I was here with UConn and even more so tonight,” Fudd said. “So having that experience with the crowd, it gets super loud. … It’s definitely a really fun crowd.”
There was also a storyline on New York’s side. Sabrina Ionescu made her season debut after missing the first five games with a foot injury, but the Wings controlled the matchup in a key way. Fudd did a good job guarding Ionescu at times, and Ionescu was scoreless in the second half.
By the time the game reached the closing stretches, it was clear the third quarter had already written the ending.
Azzi Fudd Dallas Wings New York Liberty Sabrina Ionescu Barclays Center WNBA Jose Fernandez foot injury third quarter