Monday night’s showdown at College Park Center had all the ingredients of a marquee matchup, even taking the game into overtime. But after the Wings’ loss, rookie guard Azzi Fudd thinks she pinpointed the turning point. The New York Liberty arrived looking to snap a three-game skid, while the Dallas Wings were chasing a seventh straight win. But with the Wings’ point guard Paige Bueckers being ruled out before tip-off, much of the spotlight shifted to  Fudd. However, after a thrilling battle, Dallas fell just short as the Liberty escaped with a 99-98 victory, handing the Wings their first loss of July. After the game, Fudd pointed to one key area where Dallas lost control, per the post-game interview shared by Champside on YouTube.

“I think we stopped doing—I think we just started to slow down a little. I think we stopped pushing pace as much, which is what we were really doing in the third. And I think if we had just stuck with that, who knows? ”

While Bueckers’ usual 19.9 points average was missing, her absence wasn’t the reason Dallas lost. Earlier on Monday, the Wings confirmed that the rookie was cleared after an extensive postgame evaluation and was not in the WNBA’s concussion protocol. She was held out strictly because of soreness following a late collision in Dallas’ win over the Los Angeles Sparks.

“I think we just started to slow down and got away from what was really working for us,” she later added during the post-game interview on the Champside YouTube channel.

Still, with Bueckers having helped the Wings beat New York in both of their previous meetings, the spotlight shifted to Fudd.

In fact, even before the game, WNBA insider Melissa Triebwasser highlighted the challenge awaiting the second-year guard with a post on X.

“Azzi Fudd has scored 34 total points in her two games against the New York Liberty. The Wings will need her to have another big game tonight with Paige Bueckers sidelined.” 

According to ESPN statistics, Fudd has actually scored 36 points in the two previous matchups against the Liberty, 24 back in May and 12 points on July 8. Last night, Fudd finished with 15 points, two assists, and one rebound in 43 minutes. The Dallas offense was fronted by guard Arike Ogunbowale. The veteran guard erupted for 29 points, six assists, and five rebounds, spearheading a dominant third quarter for Dallas, at 21-9 for the quarter.

But that’s when the momentum flipped. Liberty forward Breanna Stewart sparked New York’s comeback, finishing with 33 points and 13 rebounds as the Liberty outscored Dallas 24-15 in the fourth quarter, wiping out a double-digit deficit to force overtime.

And the extra period belonged to Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. The Liberty star scored 12 of her 21 points in overtime alone, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field to give New York the edge. Ogunbowale refused to let Dallas go quietly, drilling a clutch three-pointer to make it 99-98.  But her contested bank shot at the buzzer missed, ending the Wings’ six-game winning streak. So, now the focus shifts from what happened to what’s next. The question still revolves: What is Paige Bueckers’ current health update? 

Paige Bueckers shows up before the game 

With the Liberty game behind them, the attention now turns to an even bigger question: Will Paige Bueckers be ready for the WNBA All-Star Game on July 25? The rookie guard is one of the marquee names on Team Cooper, but her availability remains a talking point.

The latest update, however, has been encouraging. After Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks, Wings head coach Jose Fernandez admitted he didn’t have a medical update on Bueckers, but he did share a lighthearted moment from the locker room.

“She’s upset at Azzi because she said Azzi tripped (Ogwumike) and took away P’s (Bueckers) charge,” Fernandez joked,

He revealed that Bueckers was laughing and interacting with teammate Fudd after the game. There were more positive signs on Monday. 

Before tip-off against the Liberty, Bueckers was on the court wearing Wings gear, chatting with Fudd, going through her trademark pregame routine with teammates, and even dancing along as the team warmed up. While she didn’t suit up, her body language suggested she was in good spirits.

The Wings now have two important games coming up, against the Portland Fire on July 22 and the Atlanta Dream on July 29, with the WNBA All-Star Game sandwiched in between. If Monday’s pregame scenes are any indication, Dallas will be hoping Bueckers is back on the floor soon. And so will the fans, who are eager to see Bueckers return in time to lead the Wings and take her place among league stars on All-Star weekend.