Azzi Fudd Sets Up Wings Vs Sparks Rematch With Plum
Azzi Fudd could meet Kelsey Plum on Friday when the Wings visit the Sparks in wings vs sparks at Crypto.com Arena. The Dallas rookie said slowing Los Angeles starts with team defense and clogging the paint, and a win would give Dallas a fourth straight victory.
Fudd and Plum at Crypto.com Arena
Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. CT on ION, with Plum expected back from an ankle injury after missing the last three games. Fudd twice attended Plum's Dawg Class skills camp, giving the rookie a personal link to the matchup before she even reached the league.
"KP is someone that I’ve looked up to for a really long time" — Fudd said about Plum. "Being able to attend that, have a relationship with her, and look up to her for all these years is going to be exciting."
Fudd enters the game with real production behind the intrigue. The No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft ranks third among WNBA rookies in scoring at 12.1 points per game, second in field-goal percentage at 57.1% and second in blocks at 1.0 per game. She scored 22 points in her first WNBA start, and Dallas has kept leaning on her as her minutes have increased.
Dallas leans on Fudd
"She was a number one pick and we took her for a reason, and it’s great that now as she’s increased her minutes, she’s a starter" — Jose Fernandez said. "We look forward to continuing to find her in open space and in transition and getting her the basketball, because we’re going to need her to continue to do what she’s been doing."
The Sparks bring a sharper scoring challenge. They rank eighth in the WNBA in offensive rating at 107.9, while Dallas ranks fourth in defensive rating at 103.2 and held Seattle to a season-low 56 points on Monday. Fudd pointed to that side of the ball as the answer Friday: "We know their offensive efficiency is incredibly high, so making sure that we’re limiting them and making things as difficult as possible" and "Playing team defense, clogging the paint."
That sets up the cleanest test in the game. Dallas is not just trying to match a mentor with a rookie; it is trying to turn a visit to Los Angeles into a fourth straight win by carrying the same defensive edge it showed against Seattle.
