WNBA: Wings' Paige Bueckers - Relationship with Azzi Fudd 'nobody's business'

Paige Bueckers and WNBA No. 1 overall draft pick Azzi Fudd are teammates once again in Dallas, but both have emphasized that their personal relationship will not define the Dallas Wings’ outlook heading into the 2026 season.

The former UConn standouts, who were selected in the first round of the past two WNBA drafts, helped lead the Huskies to the 2025 national championship before announcing last July that they were in a romantic relationship.

However, the topic has largely been kept out of the public discussion surrounding the team. At Fudd’s introductory press conference earlier this month, a Dallas Wings public relations staff member declined to allow her to comment on her personal life, stating, “We’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives.”

Bueckers addressed the matter on Monday at Dallas media day, three days before the Wings open their preseason against Indiana on April 30, stressing that her focus remains firmly on basketball and team performance.

“There is something I want to address, and I only plan on addressing it once. If we continue to get asked about it, we will refer to this moment in time or use the time to deflect and talk about our teammates,” Bueckers said. “Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own. And what we choose to share is completely up to us. We’ve always been utmost professionals. We’ve never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Bueckers, who was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, also clarified that she had no involvement in Fudd’s selection as the No. 1 overall pick.

“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 draft pick because she earned it,” Bueckers said. “It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being, as a basketball player, her resilience, her strength, and her career-best year at UConn.”

“Azzi is her own great individual person and should be celebrated as such.”

Fudd also delivered a strong final season at UConn, averaging a career-best 17.3 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 44.7% from three-point range. The Huskies finished 38-0 before falling to South Carolina in the Final Four.

The Wings now turn their attention to the upcoming season, with both players expected to play key roles on the court as Dallas looks to build momentum in 2026. -Field Level Media/Reuters