Just making it into the WNBA 3-point contest wasn’t enough for Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd — she wanted to leave her mark on it, and that’s exactly what she did.
On Friday night in Chicago, Fudd became the first rookie in WNBA history to win the 3-point competition, putting on a dominant performance in the championship round to beat Portland Fire’s Bridget Carleton by a score of 30-19.
Selected first overall in this year’s draft, Fudd is only the fourth rookie ever to compete in the event. In the final round, she connected on 20 of 26 attempts, missing just two of her last 10 shots.
When told how few shots she had missed, Fudd kept things in perspective. “You say ‘only’ six shots, but I feel like that was a lot,” she said. “But honestly, I was really nervous. I was excited.”
She also reflected on why the format felt natural to her. “It’s fun to do because — and I don’t want to sound cocky — but it’s easy to me, just the set shot. Take the ball from the rack. It really is muscle memory. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was young,” Fudd said.
The victory came with a $60,000 payday — $20,000 from the league itself and an additional $40,000 contributed by Aflac and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association.
Fudd had advanced to the final by scoring 24 points in the opening round, finishing second behind Carleton’s 29. Though her shooting in the final was impressive, Sabrina Ionescu’s final-round record of 37 points remained intact. Still, Fudd made clear she has her sights set on that mark.
“If they’ll have me,” Fudd said. “I’d be honored to be here again. … That’s not up to me.”
But perhaps the most memorable moment of the night came when Fudd issued a challenge to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. “Steph, if you’re listening, I’ve been asking for a rematch since high school,” she said. “Maybe it’s our time to figure out a time and a place.”
The two previously faced off at Curry’s SC30 Select Camp back in 2018, when Fudd was still in high school. After outgunning every other camper — boys and girls alike — she squared off against Curry in a 3-point contest but fell short by four points.
Earlier in the evening, the Shooting Stars competition saw Team Washington defeat Team Seattle 31-24. The event featured four three-player squads, each made up of a WNBA legend, a current league player, and a high school athlete chosen through the Nike EYBL youth basketball circuit.
The winning Washington squad consisted of Hall of Famer Elena Delle Donne, current Mystics center Shakira Austin, and high schooler Jezelle “GG” Banks. They topped the Seattle team of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson, current Storm rookie Flau’Jae Johnson, and high school player Tatianna Griffin by that same 31-24 margin.
