'Elite' Azzi Fudd kept Wings' winning streak alive with two clutch plays in 17 seconds

Curt Miller has been around the block.

The Dallas Wings' general manger and top basketball decision-maker has coached some of the best defensive backcourts in WNBA history. Jordin Canada, Briann January and Jasmine Thomas are among the guards who flourished defensively under Miller's tutelage in Connecticut and Los Angeles.

Miller on Sunday added Azzi Fudd to that list, after the top overall pick in the 2026 draft came up clutch in the Wings' comeback win over the Chicago Sky.

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"What (Fudd) is doing defensively as a rookie is ELITE," Miller wrote on X after the Wings' 96-91 win over the Sky.

AZZI FUDD BIG DIFFERENCE MAKER ON BOTH ENDS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/t3ziPRiD57

Fudd hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter. On Chicago's next possession, guard Sydney Taylor came off a screen and thought she had a clean path to the rim.

But there was Fudd, coming up big to swat the shot cleanly and force a jump ball.

Fudd ended the game with 16 points, and the Wings held on for their fifth straight win. Dallas continues to be one of the WNBA's surprise packages: the Paige Bueckers-led group has won 15 of the past 21 games and sits fourth in the standings with a 16-8 record.

Head coach Jose Fernandez has deftly managed a rotation that is heavy on guards and improving defensively with each passing month. Despite skepticism around her selection at first overall, Fudd is a big reason why the Wings are where they are.

Was fortunate to coach the most all defensive players over a 9-year run, including some of the best guard defenders in league history (J Thomas, B January, J Canada). But what @azzi_35 is doing defensively as a rookie is ELITE! 👊 https://t.co/Y52xqMzRRT

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