Wings Coach Wastes No Time With 'Common Trend' Azzi Fudd Critique
There's a lot of interest around how Azzi Fudd will be utilized in her rookie season with the Dallas Wings after they selected her with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
For one, there's interest about how Fudd will acclimate to the professional game, which is no easy task, even for someone whose game is as polished as Fudd's. Plus, she's now playing alongside Paige Bueckers again, and fans are curious to see how their chemistry from their UConn days translates.
And Arike Ogunbowale is also in the mix, which has the basketball world wondering how first-year head coach Jose Fernandez will rotate these three and get them meshing on the court.
Then there's the aspect of how Fudd was conditioned to play at UConn, under head coach Geno Auriemma (who is close friends with Fernandez). Fudd thrived within UConn's system, but it prioritized team basketball to break defenses down and get easy shots, often at the expense of a player taking matters into their own hands.
Jose Fernandez's Training Camp Comments About Azzi Fudd Speak Volumes
It seems that Fernandez wants Fudd to dismiss that system-centric line of thinking, which he conveyed when speaking to the media after the first day of Dallas' training camp on April 19.
“I had to yell at her and tell her, ‘Don’t pass up open shots.' Especially in some of the actions we’re going to run for her, she better shoot the damn ball if she’s open," Fernandez said, per an article from Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
“That’s what she does. She can’t pass up open shots. There are situations where the floor isn’t balanced or rebounding opportunities aren’t there, and we’ll talk about those, but she needs to do what she was brought here to do and space the floor," Fernandez added.
Fudd seems to agree with this sentiment, as per her comments when addressing the media on Sunday.
“Seems to be a common trend. I mean, I don’t know! I want to share the love. But remembering to shoot when I’m open, my teammates remind me of that. So it will be an easy adjustment," Fudd said when asked about Fernandez's comments, per an X post from Landon Thomas.
Azzi Fudd on coach’s expectations of her not passing up open shots:
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) April 19, 2026
“Seems to be a common trend. I don’t know, I want to share the love but remembering to shoot when I’m open. My teammates remind me of that. It will be an easy adjustment.” https://t.co/CUtuerbum1 pic.twitter.com/lZrMSW0uhu
It seems that Fernandez isn't alone in telling Fudd she needs to be more aggressive when she has the ball in her hands. And this mindset should help Fudd transition from a college to a WNBA superstar.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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