Rusty Weiss
Reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers directly addressed the ongoing speculation about her personal relationship with new Dallas Wings teammate Azzi Fudd during Monday’s media day. And she is drawing a line in the sand with reporters.
Her opening statement made things quite clear.
“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own,” she insisted. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us.”
The comments come after weeks of awkward exchanges and viral moments surrounding the pair. Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft out of UConn, joined Bueckers in Dallas following a high-profile draft process that fueled rumors and questions about how their relationship might impact team dynamics.
But of more importance to fans, it has prompted speculation and concern that the organization pulled a LeBron/Bronny situation here, drafting Fudd more as a nepotism favor than on merit.
Paige Bueckers addressed the media today on her relationship with Azzi Fudd and only plans on addressing it once:
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) April 27, 2026
"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. pic.twitter.com/OI8uiOqlJ4
Reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers directly addressed the ongoing speculation about her personal relationship with new Dallas Wings teammate Azzi Fudd
Bueckers’ statement, of course, is silly. If she didn’t want fans and the media to talk about the relationship, she wouldn’t have brought it up. She’s not getting out in front of anything, since the league and the Dallas organization have already tried shutting it down.
Just when things had quieted down a bit, Paige fires the chatter back up all over again.
Bueckers emphasized that their off-court connection would not affect their on-court play and pushed back against suggestions that her influence played a role in Fudd landing with the Wings.
“We’ve never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court, and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” she said.
“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 draft pick because she earned it, and it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being, who she is as a basketball player, her resilience, her strength, and her career-best year at UConn,” she added.
Fudd, as the number-one overall pick in mock drafts, was not a consensus pick. It was likely, but not a foregone conclusion.
The statement follows an earlier incident at Fudd’s introductory press conference, where Dallas Wings PR staff intervened to shut down a reporter’s question about the relationship, drawing criticism and further amplifying the story.
“I understand why you have to ask that question, but we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives,” a staff member said.
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
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.”
First it was the league, then Dallas, and now Bueckers. If only they’d stop talking about it.
With training camp underway, the focus now shifts squarely to how Bueckers and Fudd translate their championship chemistry from UConn into success for the rebuilding Dallas Wings.
