“Wish Azzi Fudd had Zaza’s Audacity”: Wings Fans Beg No. 1 Pick to Play More Selfishly After Loss to Portland
· Yahoo Sports
Azzi Fudd finally got the chance to lead the Dallas Wings as a No. 1 option on Saturday against the Portland Fire. However, some may say the rookie still didn’t play as aggressively as she should have. Fudd finished with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, attempting 17 shots from the field and eight from deep.
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Fans wanted her to take over the offensive burden in Paige Bueckers’ absence. While Fudd looked to play within the system for the whole night, she continued to do so in the clutch, too. Fudd scored three points on one of the most crucial possessions with 19 seconds left, giving Dallas a two-point lead after converting the and-1.
The Fire regained the lead after Carle Leite’s layup. Dallas had 12 seconds to take the lead again and potentially win it. However, Aziaha James ran the floor and attempted an ill-advised layup with five seconds left. James ran into multiple Fire defenders on that play.
Ideally, the Wings had enough time to reset and even take a timeout to draw up a play. It would have given them a chance to go to their best shooter, Azzi Fudd. Instead, coach Jose Fernandez let them play, and the Wings had to foul after James’ miss.
Emily Engstler converted one of her two free throws with 1.2 seconds left. The Wings then called a timeout and went to Arike Ogunbowale for the winner from deep, which she missed and the Wings lost 84-83. Given how things played out, Wings fans begged Fudd to play more selfishly.
“I wish Azzi had Zaza’s (Aziaha James’) audacity,” one fan said.
“Azzi’s worst quality is her lack of ego, I fear. She’s too much of a team player, not understanding that the team is better when she’s taking the shots,” another wrote. “We need her to get a little bit of Zaza’s selfishness,” one X user added. Meanwhile, a few fans called out Aziah James. “Do we think Zaza is that selfish or actually has terrible court vision?” one fan said. When Azzi Fudd is that wide open and you choose to shoot the three, you’re not serious about winning the game to me,” another wrote. “Azzi could never be that unaware. Her hobby is reading. Zaza out there thinking she is next Calvin Harris or whoever,” one fan added.
Azzi Fudd continues to prove her two-way excellence despite loss
Azzi Fudd has continued to display that she’s more than just a 3-point shooter. Offensively, her connective play and ability to score on all three levels have elevated the Wings. On defense, Fudd is arguably their most versatile defender. The numbers back it up.
The No. 1 pick is the only player this season to record 20-plus 3s, 10-plus steals and 10-plus blocks. Fudd is 21 of 55 from long range. It’s no surprise that the Wings fan base wants her more involved and to take as many shots as possible, even if it’s without their system.
However, Azzi Fudd is going through her rookie learning curve. She’s still used to the NCAA style of play, which focuses on players relying on play-calling and sticking to the coach’s principles. Read more:
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