Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd wrecked Toronto on Sunday, and the numbers from that win are almost unfair. The Dallas Wings beat the Tempo 89-76 on the road, and it wasn’t as close as the final score suggests. Dallas never trailed, led by 16 at one point, and improved to 13-8 for the best 21-game start in franchise history.
Here’s the kind of stat that makes you blink twice: Bueckers and Fudd combined to score or assist on 55 of the team’s 89 points. That’s 62 percent of the offense from just two players. But the defensive numbers might be even louder. When either of them was the primary defender, Toronto managed only five points and shot 2-for-23 from the field. Two for 23. That’s not a typo.
Bueckers keeps stacking 20-point games
Bueckers finished with 22 points, seven assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes. It was her 12th game with at least 20 points this season, which now gives her sole possession of second place on the WNBA leaderboard for 20-point outings. She’s scored at least 22 points in five straight games, the longest active streak in the league and the second-longest such run this season.
There’s a rhythm to the way she plays right now. Nothing forced. She picks her spots, finds the open shooter, and when the defense collapses she just rises up and knocks it down. Simple stuff, but elite simple.
Fudd’s rookie season keeps generating headlines
Fudd dropped 17 points, grabbed three rebounds, added two assists, three steals and a block. She hit five of her 11 three-pointers, which makes her the only rookie this season with multiple games of at least five made threes. She also passed 20 career blocks in her 20th WNBA game, making her the fastest guard in league history to hit that mark.
That combination of shooting and defensive instincts is rare for a first-year guard. Most rookies at her position struggle to stay in front of quicker players, but Fudd has that rare ability to anticipate passes and close out without fouling. She plays like she’s been in the league for years.
Jessica Shepard is quietly having a monster season
Shepard put up 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for her 12th double-double, second-most in the WNBA. She also snagged six offensive rebounds, matching her season high. She’s now recorded 15 boards in six games this year, the most in the league. The Wings outrebounded Toronto 42-35 overall and turned those extra possessions into a 20-6 advantage in second-chance points.
All five Dallas starters reached double figures for the seventh time this season. They’re 7-0 in those games. Arike Ogunbowale had 10 points, a season-high six rebounds and two assists. Awak Kuier added 10 points, six boards and a season-best three blocks.
Dallas opened the game with a season-high 30-point first quarter, fueled by three-point shooting and relentless offensive rebounding. They finished shooting 44 percent from the field, outscored Toronto 38-32 in the paint, and just controlled the game from the jump.
Toronto was short-handed. Brittney Sykes, Kiki Rice, Temi Fagbenle and Julie Allemand all sat with injuries. Marina Mabrey led the Tempo with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Nyara Sabally added 14, Isabelle Harrison scored 13, and Kia Nurse had 12 off the bench. But it wasn’t nearly enough.
The Wings head to New York next to face the Liberty on Tuesday, then meet Toronto again in Montreal on July 10.
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