Azzi Fudd’s demise was greatly exaggerated

Azzi Fudd’s pro career didn’t get off to an ideal start. Fudd, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings, attempted just 2 shots in 18 minutes off the bench in her WNBA debut and missed the subsequent game — the Wings’ home opener — with a knee injury.

The discourse about whether Fudd should have been the No. 1 overall pick became loud almost immediately. The discourse around whether head coach Jose Fernandez should be utilizing her more — and starting her rather than having her come off the bench — was even louder.

But, in the past week, Fudd’s impact on the Wings has been evident, and her fit has increasingly made sense. The 23-year-old, known for her elite three-point shooting, has also showcased that she’s much more than that.

She tallied 8 points on 4-7 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench last Thursday, and followed that up with back-to-back 12-point games on 66.7% shooting, attempting only 5 three-pointers in that span.

”I know I’m a good three-point shooter,” Fudd said after a 12-point outing in a win over the Washington Mystics. “People like to limit me to that, but I am more than just that, so it’s been nice to just read what’s in our offense, how the defense is playing, and I have incredible teammates that get me open.”

For the season, she’s averaging 8.8 points, shooting 62.5% from the field and 42.9% from three. Already, she’s the team’s fourth-leading scorer, and she’s played the fourth-most minutes per game, trailing only Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Jessica Shepard.

“She’s just a pleasure to be around, great teammate, constantly wants to learn,” Fernandez said in a pregame press conference earlier this week.

Olivia Miles, who was selected second overall, has been awesome for the Minnesota Lynx, averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 assists per game. She might end up being Rookie of the Year, playing for an organization that lost five key rotation players and desperately needed a point guard.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean she was the right fit for the Wings, who have Paige Bueckers and Odyssey Sims at the helm. Miles might end up being generational — her passing prowess already has been — but Fudd could still be the right fit for the Wings, who have now won two in a row after getting called out by Ferndandez for selfish play after a loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

The Wings have outscored opponents by a whopping 34 points in Fudd’s 62 minutes across the last three games.

With the UConn product playing this well, this early, it feels like the sky is the limit.