Dallas Wings rookie guard Azzi Fudd didn’t start for her new team on Saturday to start the season. Why is that?
Well, Dallas chose to start veteran guard Odyssey Sims over Fudd, the top 2026 WNBA Draft selection, against the Indiana Fever on the road. The team got a 107-104 victory, with Sims contributing 20 points to the total. Fuzz scored three points in 18 minutes.
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Dallas chose to go with a more experienced veteran in Sims for the starting lineup over Fudd, and it paid off.
Wings coach Jose Fernandez explained that Fudd just needs to “keep doing what she’s doing” in terms of what he’s looking for as she plays off the bench for Dallas right now, per reporter Drake Keeler.
Jose Fernandez was asked postgame about what he’s looking for from Azzi Fudd coming off the bench.
“Keep doing what she’s doing, it’s her first year in the league. We got 5 really talented backcourt players.”
Named Paige, Arike, Odyssey, Azzi and Aziaha as those players.
— Drake (@DrakeKeeler) May 9, 2026
Fudd’s time in the starting lineup will come, but for Saturday, her coming off the bench was a good move for Dallas to get the victory.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why didn’t the Wings start Azzi Fudd? Star comes off bench in debut