Despite Azzi Fudd’s season ending early after arthroscopic surgery, the Dallas Wings believe that the former UConn standout’s strong defensive play all season deserves the Rookie of the Year award. As the race for individual awards heats up toward the end of the regular season, Fudd faces competition, as the Minnesota Lynx are making their own bid for ROTY with Olivia Miles. But the Lynx are taking it one step further.
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“14 MINS OF STRAIGHT DEFENSE 🔥Azzi Fudd’s defensive highlights just dropped on our YouTube channel. Beat us there! Azzi Fudd for Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team & All-Defensive Team⭐,” read the post by the Dallas Wings.
The Minnesota Lynx weren’t too far behind in making the case for Olivia Miles, as they pushed for the ultimate personal award for her.
“WNBA rookie scoring record. All-Star starter. Franchise assist record. LIV SHOULD BE ROTY AND MVP,” read the caption in the Lynx’s post.
After Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry for the 2024 rookie honors took the WNBA by storm, this season, fans have once again had the chance to witness an intense matchup between two promising youngsters, Miles and Fudd.
While Miles has stepped into the big shoes left by Naphessa Collier (who spent the first half of the season on the sidelines due to injuries) and has propelled Minnesota into the top spot in the standings, Fudd has given Dallas the stability they desperately needed in the paint, and that has propelled Dallas into the playoffs with their best-ever regular-season win record.
Nobody expected the Minnesota Lynx to be this good this season. But then again, nobody expected Olivia Miles to be the Lynx’s primary offensive engine. The number two pick from this year’s draft has taken up the playmaking mantle at the Lynx effortlessly. She is averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and just passed Caitlin Clark for the WNBA single-season rookie scoring record.
Olivia Miles broke the record on September 20, as the Lynx achieved a commanding 101-89 victory over the Connecticut Sun, prompting Minnesota to intensify her ROTY campaign. Miles entered the contest deadlocked with former record-holder Caitlin Clark at 769 points before making history just 29 seconds into the second quarter. Shrugging off an inefficient first quarter, Miles broke Clark’s record by sinking a free throw. She finished the night with 21 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting, raising her rookie tally to 790 points.
“It wouldn’t be possible without one, a coach that believes in you and then two, having teammates that have my back. So it’s really special to obviously be able to accomplish that with such a great team and on a win as well,” Miles said after the game.
Miles’ case for Rookie of the Year has shifted from compelling to nearly unassailable. This scoring milestone adds to a rookie-record eight triples in a single game and the fastest climb to 350 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in league history. So it will be tough to look past Miles’s case for the ROTY.
Some analysts and fans are hyping up Miles’ case for the MVP as well. It may look absurd at first to have a rookie in the MVP conversation; it’s not without precedent. Candace Parker did it in 2008, so why can’t Miles be in the conversation this time around? Miles is eighth in the league when it comes to FGM, seventh in APG – numbers good enough to have her in the fray for the MVP, especially if Minnesota wins the title.
Speaking of numbers, Azzi Fudd isn’t too far behind. The number one pick from this year’s draft has averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game this season. Fudd, despite being sidelined since the first week of August due to injury, is fourth in the league in steals per game. Her contribution for Dallas on both ends of the floor can be gauged from the fact that she is 11th in the league when it comes to three-pointers made at 2.1, and 17th in blocks per game. She is also fourth in scoring for the Dallas Wings.
Looking at the numbers, it’s a safe assumption that both Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd will make the All-WNBA First Teams. And only time will tell who emerges as the winner in the race for ROTY.