Paige Bueckers hits 1,000 points, Azzi Fudd nets deciding hoop as Dallas Wings win in overtime.

Paige Bueckers celebrated a major career milestone on Monday night, but it was teammate Azzi Fudd who delivered the decisive moment as the Dallas Wings edged the Seattle Storm 112-110 in overtime at Climate Pledge Arena.

Bueckers scored 27 points and surpassed 1,000 career WNBA points, while rookie Fudd produced a season-best 26 points, including the game-winning basket with 13.2 seconds remaining in overtime. The victory improved Dallas’ record to 11-6, already surpassing last season’s total of 10 wins.

The former UConn star reached the 1,000-point mark with a jumper in the lane with 29.3 seconds left in overtime. Achieving the feat in just 52 games, Bueckers became the fastest former UConn player to reach the milestone and tied WNBA great Elena Delle Donne as the fourth-fastest player in league history. Only Cynthia Cooper (45 games), Seimone Augustus (46), and Dallas teammate Arike Ogunbowale (51) got there sooner.

For comparison, former UConn legends Breanna Stewart needed 55 games to reach 1,000 WNBA points, while Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles each required 61 contests. Bueckers had also matched Maya Moore as the quickest UConn player to 1,000 collegiate points, doing so in 55 games during the 2023-24 season.

The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year has maintained impressive numbers in 2026, averaging 19.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Against Seattle, she was instrumental late in regulation, scoring 17 of Dallas’ final 24 points and hitting the tying jumper with 5.6 seconds left to force overtime.

Dallas coach Jose Fernandez praised Bueckers’ clutch performance, highlighting her crucial baskets down the stretch. However, Seattle repeatedly answered in overtime, and Dominique Malonga’s basket gave the Storm a 110-109 lead with 25.3 seconds remaining.

After a blocked drive by Bueckers, Fudd took charge. The former UConn standout backed down defender Zia Cooke and scored the winning basket. A steal by Jessica Shepard and a late free throw from Aziaha James secured the victory, while Natisha Hiedeman’s long-range attempt at the buzzer missed.

Fudd shot 11-for-17 from the field and finished 2-for-5 from beyond the arc in 42 minutes. The No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft is averaging 12.7 points per game during her rookie campaign.

Bueckers also contributed five rebounds and five assists, while Malonga led Seattle with a career-high 37 points and 12 rebounds. The Storm have now lost 11 consecutive games. Dallas next visits the Las Vegas Aces before returning home to face the Minnesota Lynx, ahead of a July 2 meeting with the Connecticut Sun in Hartford.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*