The 2026 WNBA regular season opener between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever delivered an exciting 107-104 win for Dallas. However, the biggest postgame discussion centered not on the victory, but on rookie Azzi Fudd’s debut off the bench. The No. 1 overall pick finished with just three points and one rebound in 18 minutes, raising questions about when she might earn a starting spot.
Wings head coach Jose Fernandez quickly addressed those concerns, expressing unwavering confidence in the young guard’s long‑term future with the franchise. “I don’t think about it that way. Is she capable of doing that? Yes, she is,” he said. “When it does happen, I think she’ll be ready.”
Despite Fudd’s quiet stat line—the fewest points ever by a No. 1 pick in a regular‑season debut—Fernandez refused to put extra pressure on the rookie. “The other thing, when she gets in, and she’s a shooter, I gotta get her more involved, get her some looks, but you got to give other teams credit too,” the coach added. He also admitted that Dallas must do a better job of creating quality scoring chances for Fudd once she enters the game.
That comment reflects the team’s patient approach to developing their young star. While many expected Fudd to immediately step into a starting role alongside former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, Fernandez revealed the reasoning behind a different lineup decision for the opener.
“I think she took it fine. Our players knew three days before who our starting lineup was,” Fernandez explained. He highlighted strong preseason performances from Aziaha James and Maddy Siegrist, who also did not start despite impressive numbers. James averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists coming off the bench in preseason, while Siegrist averaged 16 points and eight rebounds as a starter. “It’s just a credit to the team and the makeup of our team right now and my decision to go up to Indiana and play a veteran group,” Fernandez said.
The strategy paid off: veteran guard Odyssey Sims, who started over Fudd, delivered 20 points and provided the stability Dallas needed. The Wings’ starting five—Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Odyssey Sims, Jessica Shepard, and Alanna Smith—helped secure the victory, reinforcing Fernandez’s commitment to experience and roster balance early in the season.
