Azzi Fudd Drops 30, Makes History, and Calls Out Steph Curry

The WNBA has never had a rookie win its 3-Point Contest. That changed Friday night in Chicago, when Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd poured in 30 of a possible 40 points in the championship round at Wintrust Arena, then grabbed the mic and challenged the greatest shooter alive to a rematch. "Steph, if you're listening, I'm asking for a rematch," Fudd said, referencing a shooting contest Steph Curry won against her at his camp back in 2018, when she was still a high school phenom. Seven years later, she's the 2026 No. 1 overall pick with a piece of All-Star hardware, and the callout instantly became the moment of the weekend so far. How Fudd Won It Fudd put up 24 points in the opening round to advance alongside Portland Fire forward Bridget Carleton, who has been one of the league's steadiest shooters all season at 38.2% from deep. In the final, Carleton posted a respectable 19. Fudd answered with a 30-point barrage that had the entire player sideline on its feet before she finished the last rack. The context makes it sweeter. Fudd wasn't even the favorite in this field. Marina Mabrey leads the league with 3.3 threes per game, and Rhyne Howard sits second. Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, and Kayla McBride all declined invites, which gave the event an underdog-friendly setup, and the rookie took full advantage. Fudd shoots 38.8% from three on the season, so this wasn't a fluke so much as a spotlight finally landing where the skills already were. Friday night also debuted the new Shooting Stars event, where the team of Shakira Austin, a briefly un-retired Elena Delle Donne, and high school star GG Banks dropped 31 in the final round to take the inaugural title. Tonight's Main Event The All-Star Game itself tips Saturday night at 8:30 PM ET on ABC from the United Center. The headline matchup is the one the league has been waiting for all season: Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers going head-to-head on the sport's biggest midseason stage. Clark comes in off a three-game Fever win streak in which she, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 72 points in the latest victory. There are storylines everywhere. Gabby Williams becomes the first Golden State Valkyrie to start an All-Star Game. The league is celebrating its 30th anniversary season with player salaries up nearly 400% under the new CBA. And all of it is happening against the backdrop of visible tension between the players and commissioner Cathy Engelbert, a situation that dominated media day and isn't going away. The Betting Angle All-Star games are notoriously tricky to handicap, but a few patterns hold. Totals in exhibition formats tend to sail over when defense is optional, and the WNBA All-Star Game has trended high-scoring in recent editions. MVP markets are where sharp bettors focus: voters gravitate toward high-usage guards who create highlight moments, which puts Clark and Bueckers at short prices. The value play in these markets is usually a third option, a big who feasts on lob after lob or a shooter who catches fire in a game with no closeouts. Fudd's Friday night performance is exactly the kind of momentum narrative that spills into Saturday markets, so expect her number to be shorter than it should be if she's involved in any props. One honest caution: exhibition minutes are unpredictable, and effort levels vary wildly. Keep stakes light and treat All-Star markets as entertainment-grade, not core plays. SBA Takeaway Azzi Fudd becoming the first rookie to win the 3-Point Contest is the kind of star-making moment the WNBA's 30th anniversary weekend needed, and the Curry callout guarantees a crossover news cycle. For tonight, the game itself matters less than the markets around it. Look for inflated overs, short MVP prices on the two headline guards, and possible value on secondary stars in a game where anyone can catch fire. Related Reading - WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago: New Format, Big Stars, and How to Bet It - Caitlin Clark Drops Historic 45-10 Game as Fever Stun Storm - The WNBA's Million-Dollar Era Hits All-Star Week, With Two Big Injury Scares