Paige Bueckers sends clear message on Azzi Fudd relationship as Dallas Wings prepare for WNBA season (Image via Getty)
Paige Bueckers did not wait long to address the biggest question around her new team. At the Dallas Wings media day, she spoke openly about her bond with Azzi Fudd and made one thing very clear.
Their personal relationship will not affect how they play basketball. This comes just days after the 2026 WNBA Draft, where the Dallas Wings picked Azzi Fudd as the No. 1 overall selection. That move brought the two former UConn teammates together again, this time in the WNBA. Because of their close connection, many fans started asking how the situation would work on the court. Some even shared rumors online about why Fudd was drafted.Bueckers chose to respond directly, but only once. She made it clear that the focus should stay on basketball, not their private lives. Her message was calm, simple, and very firm.
Paige Bueckers explains Azzi Fudd relationship and Dallas Wings focus on professionalism and team success
During media day, Paige Bueckers started by setting a boundary. She told reporters: “There is something that I wanted to address and I only plan on addressing it once. So, if you continue to get asked about it, we will refer to this moment in time or we will use this time to deflect and talk about our teammates.” She then made her stance even clearer:“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. But as media members, I understand you guys have a job to do, and you guys have to ask questions about the basketball aspect of it. So, that’s what I will be addressing today.”
Bueckers did not avoid the topic, but she kept the focus where she wanted it, on the game. She explained that both she and Fudd have always handled things professionally. Their time together at UConn already proved that.“Me and Azzi have always been the most professional. We’ve always conducted ourselves as such and we’ve never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court. That’s what we continue to do.”She also pointed out that this is not new for them. They have already spent years learning how to balance everything. “We have countless reps at it. We have a lot of experience with it. So, we will continue to use that experience to show up and be professionals, great teammates, great leaders, the hardest workers, and continue to show up and do our job and help the Dallas Wings win basketball games.”At the same time, Bueckers addressed another big talking point, the reason behind Fudd’s No. 1 draft selection. After the draft, some social media users claimed that Dallas picked Fudd just because of her connection with Bueckers. Bueckers shut that down completely.“To add on to that, Azzi Fudd was a number one 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 continued: “So, Azzi is her great individual person, her own great individual person, and she should be celebrated as such.” Her words made it clear that Fudd’s success stands on its own.Both players already have a strong history together. They played side by side at UConn and were part of a national championship run. That experience could help the Dallas Wings as they build their season. The team is set to begin its campaign on May 9 against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. With Bueckers and Fudd leading the way, there is already strong attention on how the team will perform. For now, Bueckers has made the message simple, their focus is on winning games, nothing else.
