Dallas Wings vs. Liberty Postgame Interview: Jose Fernandez (5/24/26) [EtNJwlWWlEx]
Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez spoke with reporters following Dallas' 91-76 road win over the New York Liberty on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Fernandez detailed Azzi Fudd's breakout 24-point performance off the bench on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-12 from three, in 32 minutes — a plus-22 night that he said showed "why we took her number one." The Wings head coach addressed Fudd's increasing role in the rotation, her defensive instincts and active hands, and her growth as a creator off the bounce after entering the game in the second half as a starter. Fernandez also broke down the Wings' second-half defensive effort, holding New York to just 32 points after halftime after the team committed to defending at the break. He credited the group's response on the third stop of the road trip following the win in Washington and the matchup in Chicago, addressed the defensive adjustments that limited Sabrina Ionescu after the 5:11 mark of the second quarter, and praised Awak Kuier's expanded second-half role and floor-spacing fit alongside Jessica Shepard, Alanna Smith, and Maddy Siegrist in the frontcourt rotation. The Wings got 67 combined points from the trio of Arike Ogunbowale (19), Paige Bueckers (24), and Fudd (24), plus a 10-point, 11-rebound, 6-assist performance from Shepard. Dallas finished even on the boards (34-34) against New York's size while playing its perimeter trio heavy minutes. Dallas improved to 4-3 on the season. New York fell to 3-3. Subscribe to Dallas Hoops Journal for credentialed coverage of the Dallas Wings and Dallas Mavericks. Read more at DallasHoopsJournal.com