Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers break silence on Wings relationship status originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ever since the July 2025 announcement of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd's relationship, questions have swirled about the pair at the WNBA level. During the 2026 WNBA Draft, the broadcast made obvious nods to the relationship while cutting to Bueckers as Fudd was taken No. 1 overall.
With Fudd headed to Dallas, the two have become not only back-to-back No. 1 picks but also teammates. Questions have swirled about how this dynamic might influence the duo on the court.
Paige has now addressed those comments in an opening statement during a Monday press conference. Here's what to know from her statement.
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In a press conference Monday, Bueckers gave an opening statement about her relationship with Fudd, emphasizing that she only planned to address the situation once.
"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 never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court, and that's what we'll continue to do." Bueckers said, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou.
Paige Bueckers began her Wings media day with an opening statement regarding her relationship with Azzi Fudd 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/4byJF25pKz
Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers were confirmed to be dating as recently as July 2025 when they officially announced their relationship during WNBA All-Star weekend. Whether or not they are still together is not confirmed, though there have been no public reports of a breakup.
The two were teammates at UConn for four seasons but were not publicly dating at the time. The upcoming WNBA season marks the first time the pair have both been publicly dating and playing on the same team.
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Entering the 2026 WNBA Draft, Azzi Fudd was the favorite to go No. 1 overall, but it was not a consensus choice. Nonetheless, the Wings having that pick made fans skeptical about the influence Bueckers may have over the team.
Fudd was an All-American selection in 2026 and one of only two players in the 2026 WNBA Draft to earn that honor. Paige Bueckers weighed in on this during her press conference.
“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,” Bueckers said.
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Here is the upcoming schedule for the Dallas Wings, including the remainder of preseason and the start of the year.