Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd shared the court as professionals for the first time Thursday evening, as the Dallas Wings faced off against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in their WNBA preseason opener.
And the reunion of these two former UConn women’s basketball stars brought about some familiar dominance, as the Wings led by as much as 23 points in the second half and ultimately held on for a 95-80 win in Indianapolis.
Bueckers immediately rediscovered her scintillating Rookie of the Year form from last season, scoring 20 points in as many minutes on 8-of-12 shooting while dishing out three steals. Fudd, meanwhile, was limited to just a pair of field goals as she struggled mightily with foul trouble in the early going.
Fudd and Bueckers both featured in a makeshift starting lineup, with projected first-teamers Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale being late arrivals to Wings training camp due to overseas playing commitments. The two recent No. 1 overall draft picks powered a hot start for Dallas, as Bueckers opened the Wings’ account with a deep 3-pointer before Fudd delivered a mid-range jumper on the next possession.
However, Fudd also sent Sophie Cunningham to the free-throw line on Dallas’ first defensive possession, and these mounting fouls quickly brought some turbulence to her debut. The star shooting guard committed a second foul toward the end of the first quarter, sending her to the bench in place of former Big East rival Maddy Siegrist. Fudd drew her third whistle less than a minute after reentering the game to begin the second period.
Overall, the rookie finished with just four points on 2-of-7 shooting in 16 minutes of action and struggled to impact the game, finishing with one assist and no rebounds, steals or blocks. She was also the only Dallas starter with a negative plus/minus rating despite the 15-point win.
Fudd’s time on the bench also coincided with a game-changing Wings spurt, as an extended 30-7 run helped Dallas overcome an early deficit and take a double-digit lead into the locker room. Bueckers scored 12 points during Dallas’ dominant second quarter alone, and reached her 20-point total on the evening despite playing just two minutes in the second half.
Bueckers, who shot just 33% from 3-point range last season, looked far more confident from beyond the arc, shooting 4-of-6 on 3s while confidently hunting her perimeter opportunities. She battled back and forth with Clark, her opposing co-star in Thursday’s game, as the former Iowa star returned from a season-ending injury to lead all scorers with 21 points and four assists.
Fudd and Bueckers were both met with a warm reception during pregame lineup announcements, even from the partisan Fever crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and took time to interact with their fans before and after Thursday’s contest. Bueckers played rock-paper-scissors with a fan before the game for ownership of her basketball shoes, and she held a young fan in her arms after the win before signing her jersey.