Rusty Weiss
This isn’t how the Dallas Wings wanted the first media introduction of their new star to go.
The Wings introduced their 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick, Azzi Fudd, at a press conference on Thursday, marking her official arrival as a professional player. The former UConn star joined the franchise that had selected her college teammate Paige Bueckers with the top pick in the 2025 draft.
The two players, who first met while competing for the Huskies, now form a highly anticipated backcourt duo in Dallas.
During the session, a reporter from the Dallas Morning News posed a question to Fudd about whether she and Bueckers remain in a romantic relationship — which Bueckers had publicly acknowledged on social media the previous year — and if the pair had consulted other WNBA couples about navigating the unique dynamic of being both teammates and partners.
Before Fudd could respond, a member of the Wings’ public relations staff quickly intervened.
“I understand why you have to ask that question, but we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives,” the person said.
The moment created an immediate sense of discomfort in the room, as the team opted to treat the inquiry as off-limits. Fudd’s expression remained largely unchanged during the exchange, and the press conference continued without further discussion of the subject.
Well, her expression was mostly unchanged. At one point, you can actually see Fudd’s eyebrows drop as if surprised and confused as to why the team wouldn’t let her answer the question. Take a look …
A reporter asked Azzi Fudd about her relationship with Paige Bueckers, but the Wings' media team said they won't be commenting on their players' personal lives. pic.twitter.com/iH3enGfoVE
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 16, 2026
Wings PR Intervenes: ‘Respectfully Decline’ Comment on Fudd-Bueckers Relationship
This goes back to my previous assertion that it is the team itself that is trying to squash the relationship angle, since they don’t want to be accused of doing like the Lakers, and drafting somebody based on trying to make their star happy.
Veteran sports journalist Jeff Pearlman recently accused the league of pressuring reporters to ignore or downplay the longtime romantic relationship between Fudd and Bueckers, calling it “the number one piece of this story.”
Pearlman argued that the Wings essentially drafted Fudd to reunite her on the court — and in life — with her partner Bueckers, but said it was the league itself trying to steer clear of the obvious.
“Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers are in a long-term relationship, and nobody’s mentioning it. And the WNBA clearly has asked people not to mention it. And it’s very journalistically confusing to me,” he said.
“Like, it is fascinating that these two people who have been dating for a long time, dating back to college, would be the starting backcourt for a team. To me, that is actually the number one piece of this story. It’s not just that they drafted Azzi Fudd, they drafted Azzi Fudd to play with her longtime partner, Paige Bueckers.”
The fact that the Wings went out of their way to shut this down should prompt good sports journalists—if there are any remaining out there—to keep pressing them on the matter.
Fans have a right to know if their team selected somebody in the draft based on their personal relationship rather than whether or not they were actually deserving of being the number one pick.
