Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) circles the court as play is amount to resume in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Dream in the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON — Dallas Wings fans will have to wait a little while longer before they see 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd in action at College Park Center.
She didn’t dress out for Tuesday’s home opener due to a knee injury, instead watching from the sidelines as the Wings fell 77-72 to the Atlanta Dream.
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Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) guards Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) puts up a jumper during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings forward Alysha Clark (32) fouls Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) under the basket during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) losses control of the ball as she’s guarded by Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith (8) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) dishes the ball off to the corner aa she;’s guarded by Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) and forward Angel Reese (5) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) dishes the ball off to the corner aa she;’s guarded by Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) and forward Angel Reese (5) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) is guarded by Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) is fouled by Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) is fouled by Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Wings guard Aziaha James (10) keeps the ball from Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada (3) as she reaches for the loose ball during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026. Wings forward Alysha Clark (32) was setting up for the pick on the play.
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Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) takes a shot over DUPLICATE***Atlanta Dream guard Paige Robinson (0)***Atlanta Dream guard Isobel Borlase (0) during the second half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) gestures to a Dallas Wings player after she scored during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith (8) passes the ball as she’s defended by Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Wings guard Aziaha James (10) reaches in to block Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese’s (5) First half shot at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026. Wings forward Awak Kuier (34) helped defend on the play.
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Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd (second from right) watches from the bench in street clothes as her teammates faced the Atlanta Dream in the first half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist (20) blocks a shot by Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Aziaha James (10) reaches through and knocks the ball from Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard’s (10) hands during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) blocks a shot by Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) during the first quarter at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) is introduced befor the home opener against the Atlanta Dream at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
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Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd slaps hands with her teammates after being introduced during the home opener against the Atlanta Dream at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points for a second straight game, as Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard added 15 and 10 points, respectively. But shots didn’t fall for the Wings(1-1) like they did over the weekend in a 107-104 win over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on national TV.
Dallas shot 28-of-73 from the floor and 4-of-26 from three. It wasn’t a much better shooting night for Atlanta, which finished 26-of-69 from the field and 9-of-33 from behind the arc.
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“Hold them to 37%, but lose by five,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said in his postgame news conference. “We’ll look at it. We’ll be better, and we’ll go from there.”
It wasn’t the start fans wanted at home. Fudd being out didn’t help.
Dallas Wings rookie guard Azzi Fudd (dressed in street clothes) is introduced with teammate before the team faced the Atlanta Dream at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026. Fudd did not suit out for the game because of an injury.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Fernandez, the former South Florida women’s basketball coach whose hiring was announced in October, told reporters pregame Fudd would not appear in the home opener out of an abundance of caution.
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Dallas Wings guard Aziaha James (10) reaches through and knocks the ball from Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard’s (10) hands during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington, May 12, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Fudd, who in 18 minutes scored three points on two attempts and came off the bench in the season opener, was listed as probable Monday before being ruled out with a right knee injury.
The UConn product, coming off a long college season that included a run to the Final Four, tore her ACL and MCL in 2019 and tore her ACL and medial meniscus in 2023. Both injuries came in her right knee.
“I’m not going to discuss anything medically in regards to her or what she has done in practice, what she hasn’t done in practice,” Fernandez said pregame after being pressed for more details on Fudd’s status.
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Despite first half shooting struggles (16-of-41 from the field, 3-of-16 from three), the Wings took a 41-38 advantage into halftime.
Dallas led by as much as nine points in the second quarter, jumping out to a 37-26 lead with 4:18 remaining before the half. But that lead dwindled, as Atlanta went on a 12-4 run.
The Dream put together another run to open the third quarter, outscoring the Wings 11-2 through the first four-and-a-half minutes before Ogunbowale ended a long scoring drought with a running layup and a subsequent free throw that brought Dallas within three.
Ogunbowale, who scored 11 points in the third, had the chance to tie the game at 58 with a minute remaining in the penultimate quarter, but she missed her second of two free throws. The veteran guard made up for it just before the third quarter expired, sinking two shots at the line to give Dallas a 59-58 lead.
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Atlanta opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run, ended by a Shepard layup off an assist from Alanna Smith.
Bueckers, who finished 5-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-3 from deep, sank a last-second three. But down the stretch, the Wings couldn’t hold off Atlanta, which made five more shots than the Wings’ four from beyond the arc.
“It’s so early. This is Game 2,” Ogunbowale said postgame. “We definitely got a lot of good shots. We just couldn’t knock them down today.”