The Dallas Wings opened their season with another look at Azzi Fudd, but not in the role many expected. Jose Fernandez brought the guard off the bench Friday against the Indiana Fever, while Odyssey Sims started next to Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers.
The decision mattered because Dallas used its second consecutive number-one pick on Fudd, a move that drew questions in draft season from those who pointed to other talent in the class and to her personal relationship with Bueckers. Instead, the Wings opened by putting a veteran point guard beside Bueckers and Ogunbowale, a setup that can let the two star guards hunt scoring chances while creating cleaner looks for both. It also gives Fudd a softer landing as she moves from a long college season, the draft, a cross-country move and a demanding training camp into the pro game.
Fudd was on the floor for 18 minutes against Indiana and took more than two shots, a sign that Dallas is still sorting out how much it wants from her right away. The Wings already identified Bueckers as their franchise player last year, then used this draft to add Fudd and continue building around that core with veterans who can help the group win now.
That is what makes her bench role so interesting. Fudd is not being asked to carry the kind of load usually attached to a number-one pick, because the Wings have already committed to Bueckers and surrounded her with older players. For now, Fernandez appears to be treating Fudd as both a shooter who can fit next to elite talent and a young player who can be eased into the WNBA and its system without being forced to do everything on day one.
The next test is how quickly that balance shifts. Dallas has made its intention clear by drafting Fudd and adding veterans, but the opener showed the team is still deciding whether her best value comes as an immediate starter or as a weapon it can introduce in stages.
