The Dallas Wings used their second consecutive number-one pick to draft Azzi Fudd—a decision that made sense given her one-of-a-kind shooting ability and her history of winning next to Paige Bueckers, but was still questioned regularly because of the other talent in the draft and the duo’s personal relationship.
Instead of giving Fudd the biggest stage possible to prove her doubters wrong, new Wings head coach Jose Fernandez elected to bring her off the bench in the team’s regular-season opener. Veteran guard Odyssey Sims started next to Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers instead.
The choice to start Sims over Fudd makes sense in many ways, but the Wings need to utilize Fudd better than they did against the Indiana Fever. When you have one of the best 3-point shooters to ever enter the league coming off the bench, you should get her more than two shots in 18 minutes on the court.
Starting Sims helps everyone at the moment
Starting a veteran point guard next to Bueckers and Ogunbowale makes sense. Both are good playmakers, but having someone else who can handle that responsibility next to them allows them to focus on scoring and creates open looks for the two star guards.
The decision to start Sims over Fudd can also help the latter in the long run. It allows Fudd to ease her way into the WNBA and the pro system after a long college season that was immediately followed by the draft, a move across the country, and a taxing training camp.
Fudd isn’t your typical number-one pick. Usually, when teams have the top pick in the draft, they are looking for a franchise player, someone who can take over the team and help it go from losing to winning. The Wings don’t need Fudd to do any of that. They already got their franchise player last year when they drafted Bueckers, and they brought in a ton of veterans to help build a winning team around her. Landing Fudd is the cherry on top, so to speak.
Bringing Fudd along more slowly may not be the flashy or expected choice, but it makes a ton of sense for a now veteran-heavy team looking to win and compete with the best. Once Fudd is more comfortable in the W, she can still fill a bigger role.
Fudd needs to be more involved offensively
Leading the Wings is just as new for Fernandez as playing for them is for Fudd. This was his first game as a WNBA head coach, and he will be able to make some adjustments for the next game. One of those adjustments should be getting Fudd more opportunities to shoot the ball.
She took two 3-pointers against the Fever and made one. The only players who took fewer shots than that are Alysha Clark and Li Yueru, who only played four minutes each.
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