Fudd scored a career-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes on the floor, marking her first double-digit outing of her WNBA career. The UConn product also had three assists, two rebounds and a steal. Kuier, who scored 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 20 minutes on the floor, also had four assists, three rebounds and three steals.  

“That’s a really good lineup,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said postgame Monday on the lineup of Paige Bueckers, Fudd, Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard and Maddy Siegrist. 

“Now with Awak getting more practice time and her learning the playbook and her getting a much bigger feel, you saw the impact that she made.” 

Discourse has circulated about who should be in the Wings starting lineup and who should get the most minutes. 

The starting five included Bueckers, Ogunbowale, Shepard, Odyssey Sims and Alanna Smith, who got into foul trouble early. Bueckers and Ogunbowale led the team with 33 minutes each. Fudd, Kuier and Siegrist, who scored 10 points in 20 minutes, had more time on the floor than both Sims and Smith, who combined for three points. 

“Minutes could be different night in, night out,” Fernandez said. “Whose got the hot hand, who we’re going to because of matchups.” 

Fans have pushed for Fudd to make it into the starting lineup. Fernandez said after the season opener that Fudd is capable of joining that group. The rookie looked comfortable Monday and has scored a combined 20 points over the last two games. 

“My goal was to be aggressive when I got in the game. Contribute any way I could, watch what the starters were doing,” Fudd said postgame Monday.

There have also been questions about Siegrist’s role on the team. The No. 3  pick in the 2023 draft, Siegrist scored 17 points in Dallas’ 90-86 loss to the Minnesota Lynx last week. 

Fernandez applauded her performance on Monday night against the Mystics. 

“Especially proud of Maddy because she had to play so much bigger against [Washington’s] Kiki [Iriafen] and [Shakira] Austin,” Fernandez said. 

While starting lineups and minutes will be unknown entering each game, Kuier should get more involved as the season progresses. Hailing from Finland, she missed training camp due to overseas commitments and immigration processes. But four games in, the center has started to find her rhythm. 

Kuier, drafted by the Wings second overall in 2021, had sat out WNBA play after the 2023 season. But she made her return to the league in 2026 after developing in Europe. 

“That time overseas for her where she was a big piece on her team really helped her,” Ogunbowale said postgame Monday. “She came back confident. Her shot looks good. She can get to the basket. She’s long.”