Azzi Fudd's Final Box Score Stats, Highlights as Fire Beat Wings with Paige Bueckers Out
Azzi Fudd scored 18 points, but the Dallas Wings fell to the Portland Fire, 84-83, on the road Saturday while playing without former Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers was sidelined Saturday after tweaking her ankle in the second quarter of Dallas' 85-70 win over the Phoenix Mercury.
"It's a long year …Paige wants to be on the floor tonight, but the best thing for her longevity, for her career, for the franchise is her making sure we take care of her and she takes care of her body," Wings head coach Jose Fernandez said, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews.
Fudd nearly put the game away, converting an and-one with 18.7 seconds remaining to give Dallas a two-point lead. But Portland answered quickly, as Carla Leite scored on a layup to tie the game, and Emily Nestler knocked down a free throw to seal the win.
Fudd finished with 18 points, shooting 38 percent from three-point range while adding two steals and two blocks. Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings with 22 points as Dallas fell to 8-5.
| Player | PTS | FG | REB | AST |
| Azzi Fudd | 18 | 7-17 | 4 | 3 |
| Jessica Shepard | 13 | 5-10 | 14 | 2 |
| Maddy Siegrist | 5 | 2-4 | 2 | 2 |
| Arike Ogunbowale | 22 | 7-16 | 6 | 2 |
| Aziaha James | 17 | 6-18 | 6 | 4 |
The Fire's starting lineup delivered a balanced offensive effort, with each starter reaching double figures as they improved to 7-8 on the season.
Bridget Carleton led the way with 20 points on 60 percent shooting from the three-point line, adding a steal in a strong all-around performance.
| Player | PTS | FG | REB | AST |
| Bridget Carleton | 20 | 6-14 | 4 | 1 |
| Emily Engstler | 11 | 4-10 | 6 | 2 |
| Megan Gustafson | 16 | 7-11 | 6 | 4 |
| Sarah Ashlee Barker | 10 | 4-8 | 5 | 3 |
| Carla Leite | 10 | 4-11 | 5 | 8 |
Dallas entered the matchup having won five of its previous six games, while Portland came in on a skid, dropping its last four.
The Fire capitalized on the absence of Bueckers, flipping their recent form and pulling out the win to snap their losing streak.
Dallas fell to 3-2 in Commissioner's Cup play, with losses coming against the Minnesota Lynx and the Fire.
Meanwhile, the Fire earned their first Cup victory, improving to 1-4 and sitting just ahead of the Seattle Storm in the Western Conference standings.
Dallas will host the Las Vegas Aces on Monday and Portland will hit the road to take on the Minnesota Lynx on Monday.
