The Dallas Wings have emerged as a contender with Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd leading the way.
Dallas went a combined 19-65 over the previous two seasons combined. Now, halfway through July, they find themselves at 16-8 and with the fourth-best record in the league.
Fudd’s lockdown defense as a rookie and Bueckers taking the next step as a facilitator are the main ingredients to Dallas racking up win(g)s.
Azzi Fudd’s Defensive Impact as a Rookie
Fudd’s defense has put Dallas on another level.
In a recent game against Toronto, Tempo players went 0-10 with Fudd as the primary defender.
This play in particular sums Fudd locking down Toronto:
A simple switch that leads to Fudd defending on an island. The recent top overall pick doesn’t play overly aggressive. She simply shows her hands to force the shot over the top, and it results in an airball.
Dallas had the third-worst defensive rating last season. This year, they are seventh-best in that metric at 107.3. In the month of July, they currently have a defensive rating of 99.6.
Incredibly, Fudd is leading the league in STOCKS (steals and blocks combined) over the last month.
Her on-ball and off-ball defense is well ahead of the curve.
After knocking down the free throw line jumper, Fudd becomes the low man — the closest off-ball defender to the baseline. She’s tasked with two things on this play: tag the roller and recover back to her assignment.
Fudd does both, finishing the play by flipping her hips to prevent a blow-by drive and coming up with a strip of the ball for a steal.
The former UConn product is out there shutting down possessions by herself.
Guarding Natisha Hiedeman, (who is top 10 in 3-pointers made at 2.2 per game) Fudd chooses to go under the screen and meet her on the other side. Fudd shows her ability to slide her feet and force a dribble pick up.
Fudd then switches twice and ends up on a big. The switching by the Wings keeps the ball on the perimeter. Guarding Jordan Horston, a 15 percent shooter, Fudd aggressively helps in the gaps to force another pick up.
Finally, the 23-year-old recovers back to her assignment, moves her feet on an island, and finishes the possession by putting a hand up on a missed one-legged fadeaway.
Paige Bueckers’ Emergence as a Passer
With a co-star in Fudd next to her, Bueckers has translated her stats into wins. Bueckers is sixth in assists per game (6.3).
It’s her improved ability to start off the ball before generating open looks for her teammates.
On this play, she gets into her teammate, Arike Ogunbowale’s sightline and builds momentum before catching a pass. That momentum helps her blow by the defender and bring up another help defender.
Bueckers creates an advantage by freeing up her teammate underneath for an easy layup.
Again, the Wings have Bueckers start off the ball before working back towards it.
While Bueckers’ rip screen doesn’t gain an offensive advantage, the Wings flow into their offense with a pindown screen — a screen set facing the basket — to get Bueckers the ball back up top.
Now, she makes the read on the pick-and-roll where her defender goes over the screen so she just threads the needle, knowing Jessica Shepard has nothing but space between her and the cup.
While the Wings rank in the bottom-half in the league in pace, (ninth in that category) they do execute when they give themselves chances.
Even without the numbers in transition, they can generate buckets.
It’s Bueckers’ subtle move where she looks right and has peripheral vision to see Fudd’s defender play off her. A one handed pass right into Fudd’s shooting pocket for an open corner three-pointer.
The duo of Bueckers and Fudd have elevated the Dallas Wings to the next level. A combination of Fudd’s defensive tenacity and Bueckers’ playmaking are the needle movers for the Wings’ jump.
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