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Bueckers and Fudd Lift Dallas Wings to 16-8 Midseason Turnaround

Late-game scoring from Paige Bueckers paired with Azzi Fudd’s rookie defense has vaulted Dallas into the top four, raising questions about the team’s reliance on fourth-quarter comebacks and who merits MVP credit.

Overview

  • The Wings have surged to a 16-8 record and sit around the No. 4 playoff seed after a multi-game winning streak that has transformed their season.
  • Paige Bueckers leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring with 138 points and frequently closes out games, a role she says has become a "bad habit" the team would prefer to break.
  • Rookie Azzi Fudd has emerged as a defensive difference-maker, leading rookies in steals and ranking among the league leaders in recent combined 'stocks' (steals plus blocks).
  • Jessica Shepard and veterans such as Arike Ogunbowale and Awak Kuier have supplied consistent support with Shepard posting multiple double-doubles and triple-doubles that deepen Dallas’s roster impact.
  • The Wings’ run has improved their defensive rating and playoff odds, but their repeated fourth-quarter comebacks highlight consistency risks and complicate how voters should weigh Bueckers’ MVP case.