When Azzi Fudd was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings, attention quickly turned to her reunion with 2025 first pick Paige Bueckers.
The pair had exceptional college careers, culminating in an NCAA championship as teammates on the UConn Huskies. However, their personal relationship was also thrust into the spotlight, as they had previously acknowledged that they were dating.
Now that the duo is on the same team again, there was plenty of speculation about their relationship.
Paige Bueckers Makes Feelings Clear on Azzi Fudd and Their Relationship
Recently, a Wings PR staffer shut down a reporter who asked Fudd about her relationship with Bueckers, which caused even more headlines and discourse.
On Monday, Bueckers spoke to the media and said she would only address this situation once.
“Frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own,” said Bueckers. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us.”
Paige Bueckers addressed the media today on her relationship with Azzi Fudd and only plans on addressing it once:
“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
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) April 27, 2026
She said she understood that media members have a job to do and went on to state that she and Fudd “have always been the most professional” and “never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court.”
She told the media that they have plenty of experience in this situation and will be fine navigating things in the WNBA. Bueckers also defended Fudd as being worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.
“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 draft pick because she earned it; it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being and who she is as a basketball player — her resilience, her strength, and her career-best year at UConn,” Bueckers said. “Azzi is her own great, individual person and she should be celebrated as such.”
The sports world had plenty to say about Bueckers’ comments.
Veteran journalist Jemele Hill believes it was a “perfect response.”
“Perfect response,” Hill explained. “She nor Azzi needed anyone stepping in to save them. Just let them answer the question however they want.”
Perfect response. She nor Azzi needed anyone stepping in to save them. Just let them answer the question however they want. https://t.co/KInj1hKGb8
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) April 27, 2026
Seth Davis agreed, calling it “perfectly executed.”
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon pointed out that the messaging is only truly effective if it comes from the player’s mouth.
“Good observation here for PR folks: The messaging is far more effective if the player can speak for themselves,” Goon explains. “Cutting in to “protect” the player from a pretty obvious question doesn’t really help anyone, and makes it look like an adult can’t speak for her/himself.”
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Evan Barnes of NewsDay Sports only added to the praise.
“Great from Paige, as expected,” said Barnes. “Nothing wrong asking so folks understand the dynamic. Nothing wrong with choosing to share what they want like any couple. You ask, they choose how to answer, we keep it moving. I trust Wings PR will also be better from this as the pros they are.”
Great from Paige, as expected. Nothing wrong asking so folks understand the dynamic. Nothing wrong with choosing to share what they want like any couple
You ask, they choose how to answer, we keep it moving. I trust Wings PR will also be better from this as the pros they are https://t.co/Qy1KWSQGH4
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) April 27, 2026
Stargazer Sports Media is glad the media can finally focus on more on-court stories now.
“So hard launched and was perfectly fine with everyone knowing yall were officially together and now it is no one’s business as if you didn’t already hard launch? Got it,” he wrote. “At least she ‘addressed’ it and now the media will stop asking about it and we can focus on basketball.”
So hard launched and was perfectly fine with everyone knowing yall were officially together and now it is no one’s business as if you didn’t already hard launch? Got it. Atleast she “addressed” it and now the media will stop asking about it and we can focus on basketball. https://t.co/s44m53h7WX pic.twitter.com/YJYNeflkCv
— Stargazer Sports Media (@TheStarGaz3rr) April 27, 2026
As Bueckers said herself at the end of her statement: “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I would love to talk basketball.”
That about sums it up. This was nobody’s business but their own, and now that it has been addressed by Bueckers herself, the basketball world can focus on how the Wings star is developing into one of the league’s best players and reuniting with a star from her past to give Dallas a special one-two punch.
