Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez, however, has been envisioning Fudd in North Texas since the day he was hired to lead the WNBA franchise last October — “It wasn’t a secret after I got hired, my first trip was to Storrs,” Fernandez said last week.
Fernandez has enjoyed the opportunity to take a more in-depth look at Fudd’s game this week as Dallas Wings training camp began from the UT-Arlington campus Sunday, praising the former UConn star’s increasingly versatile game.
“She has a very unique skillset,” Fernandez told reporters Tuesday. “She can shoot the crap out of the basketball, she can create off the bounce. She invested and got better defensively. Now, she’s got to adjust on how people are going to guard her, but I think she’s really surrounded by good veterans, and she’s surrounded by good post players that are going to get her open.”
Fudd displayed a bit of initial hesitancy as she stepped up to the professional ranks, with Fernandez stating that he yelled at his star rookie to stop passing up open looks at the basket. The No. 1 overall draft pick ultimately showed a bit more aggression, drilling a contested pull-up off the dribble during her first day of practice.
The start of training camp also brought about a reunion for her and Paige Bueckers, previously overlapping for four seasons at UConn, and the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year was seen making plenty of playful attempts to distract her Fudd. However, the pair of Huskies alums also earned praise from Fernandez for their shared diligence in getting extra repetitions and their off-court body maintenance, perhaps looking past Fudd’s newfound love for Tex-Mex cuisine.
“You see in her what you see in Paige,” Fernandez said about Fudd. “Taking care of her body, doing extra stuff, getting here early, staying here after and getting more shots up.”
The Wings haven’t made much headway at training camp in reconciling Fudd’s role within a crowded Dallas backcourt, as Arike Ogunbowale, who started last season alongside Bueckers, is currently finishing up her season overseas. However, Fernandez made sure to emphasize Fudd’s importance to the organization.
“There was no doubt in my mind what our franchise needed was to address the 3-point shooting, a floor spacer, and someone who I think has got so much more in front of her as well,” Fernandez said.