Emmanuel Acho smacks Dallas Wings for babying Azzi Fudd amid viral Paige Bueckers question

The reaction came after a reporter asked Fudd about Paige Bueckers during her introductory media session, referencing the fact that Bueckers had previously gone public with their relationship.

Before Fudd could respond, a Wings staffer stepped in and declined to comment on the players’ personal lives, which immediately turned the exchange into a story of its own.

Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers controversy grew because Dallas Wings stepped in

Acho then pushed the point further, tying the moment to a wider media issue.

“Azzi Fudd, a #1 overall pick should be able to field questions about dating her teammate,” he stated. “WNBA contracts are larger than ever, exposure is at an all time high, take the muzzle off of journalists mouths and the pacifier out of the players’ mouths. Treat these women like the adults they are.”

That is where the controversy really sits. Fudd and Bueckers were not being linked through rumor alone, because their relationship had already been made public before Dallas drafted Fudd first overall and paired them together again.

From there, the debate split in two directions. Some felt the Wings were right to draw a boundary around personal matters, while others argued the team only magnified the issue by shutting down a question tied to a public relationship and an obvious teammate dynamic.

Given that Bueckers was the 2025 No. 1 pick, Fudd became the 2026 No. 1 pick, and both now share the same backcourt in Dallas, the story was always going to carry attention beyond basketball alone.

Read more:

• WNBA fans slam Jason Whitlock’s rude comments on Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers