The Dallas Wings experienced a major turnaround this season due to their assembling of talent, including back-to-back No. 1 picks, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, who are also former UConn teammates. While Bueckers has been playing recently during the team's push towards the postseason, Fudd has been watching from the sidelines. On Wednesday, an unfortunate injury update arrived regarding Fudd's return to the court, which won't happen this season.
According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, the team announced that Fudd will miss the remainder of the season as she'll undergo an arthroscopic procedure to address the right knee soreness she's been experiencing. Fudd, whom the Wings drafted first overall in April, averaged 13.1 points, 1.8 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game in her debut season. She shot a 45.6% field goal percentage and 39.7% on her 3-pointers.
More news: Sparks Legend Announces WNBA Retirement After 18 Seasons Fudd last played in the Wings' loss to the Washington Mystics on Aug. 5, recording nine points, three assists, three steals, and a rebound in 34 minutes of playing time. While she wasn't among the WNBA All-Stars yet, like fellow rookie Olivia Miles of the Minnesota Lynx, Fudd made history by becoming the first rookie to win the annual 3-point contest. Unfortunately, now she'll miss her team's playoff run, which would've been valuable experience for her in just her first season.
Losing Fudd is a major blow for Dallas, although they still have talent in place. The backcourt duo of Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, along with Jessica Shepard, are the team's top three scorers this season, followed by Fudd. Fudd wasn't on pace to claim the WNBA Rookie of the Year, which seems to be secured by the Lynx's Olivia Miles.
She's led Minnesota to the league's best record as a rookie, while All-Star teammate Naphessa Collier was recovering from injury. Now that Collier is back, the Lynx remain strong contenders to win the championship. The Wings are currently 20-16 in the WNBA standings and holding onto the eighth and final playoff spot.
They've been struggling over their last 10 games, going 3-7, and are currently on a two-game losing streak. If they continue to falter, the Portland Fire are within five games of taking the final playoff spot. Bueckers and company will attempt to snap their streak when they host the visiting Indiana Fever on Thursday night.
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