The Dallas Wings suffered a huge blow to their season, but that doesn't mean it's completely over.
Dallas on Wednesday revealed that Azzi Fudd will undergo an arthroscopic procedure to address ongoing right knee soreness. This procedure will be done early next week, and the rookie will miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season.
Fudd had missed the last five games before the team's announcement, and the Wings were 1-4 during that stretch. Jose Fernandez's side missed Fudd's outside shooting and, more importantly, her defense.
Now that it is confirmed that the Wings won't have Fudd for the rest of the season, some WNBA fans raised questions regarding their playoff status. Dallas is four-and-a-half games ahead of the Portland Fire heading into their matchup against the Indiana Fever on Thursday.
However, this is not a team that should be written off.
Dallas should benefit from its upcoming schedule
Thursday's matchup could be another loss. Indiana's offense is among the best in the league, and it was obvious from when these sides faced off on Aug. 14 that the Wings could have used Fudd for her shooting and defense.
The Wings could have a chance if Kelsey Mitchell missed the game. Regardless, their schedule does get easier after Thursday.
They don't play a team with a record over .500 in their final seven games, and the matchup against the Fire on Aug. 25 would be a definitive way to secure their playoff position.
An excuse you could make during Dallas' poor stretch is it has faced some of the toughest opponents the WNBA could offer.
The Wings played the Golden State Valkyries twice, the Minnesota Lynx, Fever and a surging Washington Mystics.
The one win during their stretch without Fudd was against the Toronto Tempo, who have one of the worst defenses in the league.
Dallas also missed Jessica Shepard for a time, so as long as they don't suffer another key injury, they should do enough to at least secure the eighth seed.
There's still an obvious ceiling to the team
The real argument for the Wings is how far can they go in the playoffs.
The Wings don't necessarily have the privilege to worry about seeding, but the teams in the bottom eight of the playoff standings should be focused on not finishing seventh or eighth, since that would almost guarantee a playoff series against the Lynx or Valkyries.
Dallas could have kept that optimism before Wednesday. However, losing Fudd caps the team's ceiling and makes a potential upset against either the Lynx or Valkyries a pipe dream.
That doesn't mean the Wings aren't still on schedule when it comes to their overall development, but Fudd's season-ending injury is a blow to a team that showed incredible promise early in the season.
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