For the Dallas Wings, it was just a matter of time before their backcourt would be bossed by the duo of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. The duo’s chemistry was a bit limited in their preseason opener against the Indiana Fever, courtesy of Fudd’s foul troubles restricting the rhythm. But the second game against the Las Vegas Aces clearly reinforced what the duo can pull off for the Wings in the upcoming season, even prompting the league to take major attention for a specific sequence of play between the two.

It unfolded in the second quarter of the game when Bueckers got the ball right ahead of the arc, and subsequently pulled a defender towards her. In turn, Bueckers looked to her left, found Fudd precisely in the perimeter, who drilled a 24-foot three-point jumper to extend the team’s lead to 27-44. WNBA shared a glimpse of this sequence on their X handle, captioned with anticipation for the plays between Fudd and Bueckers.

“BEEN WAITIN’ FOR THIS ONE 🤩” the post’s caption read.

Coming into the preseason games, there was immense hype around the duo of Fudd and Bueckers. Of course, there were questions on how they would fare in the professional team, especially with the off-court relationship they share. In a press conference, the 2025 Rookie of the Year clearly reflected that both of them are immensely professional and wouldn’t let any of their off-court issues hamper their actions for the team.

But that isn’t just restricted to that, as the pressure of expectations was already burdening them, courtesy of their exploits during their UConn days, where their link-up gave the Huskies quite a fair bit of success, including a National Championship title. But their chemistry in the Aces game clearly established that the duo is here to stay and is enough to keep the league on notice.

Notably for the duo, the above-mentioned sequence wasn’t the only glimpse of their chemistry from the game. A similar one took place in the first quarter when Bueckers scored a 24-foot three-pointer on a Fudd assist. All in all, Fudd and Bueckers combined for 23 points and 4 rebounds. Aziaha James added 18 more from the bench as the Wings clinched an 84-101 win over a star-studded Aces team that had the likes of A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young.

The Aces’ big three did score substantially in the game, with Wilson leading the charts in 18 points. But the Wings were just straightaway better in the game in all aspects. The Wings scored better (49% to 4&%) and outrebounded them 25-35. Bueckers was at the helm of the win, and did much of the heavy lifting in dictating the game with 9 assists.

While for Fudd, the game was a breather after a tumultuous start in the Indiana Fever game. The former UConn guard missed a large number of shots from the field in the game, going 2 of 7 in shooting and conceding 3 fouls. The Aces game was different, as Fudd looked quite confident with shooting, going 4-for-10 from the field. Following the game, she admitted that her confidence is growing immensely with each game.

“I definitely felt a lot more comfortable out there tonight than I did the other night,” Fudd said. “I think each game is going to get a little bit better.” On the other hand, it was another regular night for the team’s franchise player, who had her teammates do most of the talking after the game against the Las Vegas Aces.

Praise Pours In for Paige Bueckers After Formidable All-Around Preseason Performance

From a contextual perspective, Bueckers didn’t have the most formidable scoring spree, especially in comparison to her outing against the Indiana Fever. Yet despite that, it feels more of a complete performance, courtesy of the efficiency she showcased in the game. Her performance wasn’t just about scoring or dishing out assists, but the zero turnovers in her 22-minute stay against the likes of defensive maestros like A’ja Wilson.

Her teammate, Jessica Shepard explained Bueckers’ performance in the best possible fashion in the post-game press conference. “She had like 7 assists, I knew coming here, Paige is an unbelievable passer,” she said. “I think, tonight she just made the right read every single time. She looks for a shot when she needs to, but also she take draws, so much attention that she creates so many easy looks for everyone else on the court.”

The court-vision and playmaking haven’t been an issue for Paige Bueckers. She has fit into that role perfectly. Even last season, we saw her lead Wings with a team-high 19.2 ppg and 5.4 assists per game. And considering her momentum, this season seems to be no different for her.

But going forward in the regular season, Bueckers will have to address a different aspect for the Wings. Now, it’s not a surprise that the Wings have been defensively shaky as far as we’ve seen in the preseason. Against the Fever, the team gave away 32 fouls and 42 free throws. And against the Aces, it was again a similar story. Jose Fernandez’s team accounted for 27 fouls, suggesting the defense isn’t coming on as efficiently as it should for the Wings.

This is where Bueckers will have to raise her tempo on the court and contribute in a similar vein to Aziaha James and Alanna Smith. The only issue for Paige Bueckers in this regard is the timing. The regular season is hanging in the balance for the Dallas Wings, and with their first game against the Indiana Fever in a few days, the team will have to regroup quickly on the defensive end of the court before they get exposed like last season.