Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, faced questions about her relationship with teammate Paige Bueckers during her introductory press conference, but the Wings declined to comment. This situation highlights the complexities of personal relationships in professional sports.
Key points
Azzi Fudd is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
Fudd's relationship with Paige Bueckers is off-limits for discussion.
The Wings' moderator declined to comment on players' personal lives.
Both players are former No. 1 picks, creating a unique situation.
Azzi FuddPaige BueckersDallas Wings
Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd (center), the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA basketball draft, take part during an introductory press conference with head coach Jose Fernandez (right), and general manager Curt Miller at Hyatt Regency Dallas, on April 16, 2026. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News)Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd (center), the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA basketball draft, take part during an introductory press conference with head coach Jose Fernandez (right), and general manager Curt Miller at Hyatt Regency Dallas, on April 16, 2026. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News)
Azzi Fuddâs introductory news conference Thursday in a Hyatt Regency meeting room overflowing with friends, family, media, a half-dozen of her new Wings teammates and a 7-foot gecko taught us a few things about the latest No. 1 pick from UConn.
Like the fact that she once hit a shot to beat her new coach in college. Or that her mom played in the WNBA. Or that she stars in a new commercial with the company repped by the aforementioned lizard.
We also learned she loves barbecue, wants to visit the Stockyards and would like to buy a cowboy hat to match the new black boots she wore Thursday.
But the first thing you might have wanted to know, as to whether sheâs still dating her new/old teammate, Paige Bueckers?
Donât ask.
I tried.
No sooner did yours truly pose the question as well as a follow-up about whether theyâd sought the counsel of the WNBAâs other couples than the Wingsâ moderator interceded.
âI understand why you have to ask that question,â Pam Flenke said, âbut weâre going to respectfully decline from commenting on playersâ personal lives.â
Before getting to the opportunity missed Thursday, as well as the unfortunate statement made in its place, letâs get this straight: Itâs not as if I broke any news. The relationship
On TikTok, no less.
Now all of a sudden the subject is off-limits, which is not a little ironic, considering it just moved from TMZ material to mainstream news story.
As far as I can tell, this is the first time in any sport a player taken with the first pick of the draft could be in a relationship with a player already on the team and who just happens to be a former No. 1 pick as well. I mean, what are the odds? Even Fudd said she couldnât believe in the possibilities until after she got the news.
But the story isnât that the Wings were bad enough two years in a row to end up so fortunate. The news isnât even an old tale of two young teammates in love.
If thatâs still the case, of course.
The story is that, after doing their due diligence, with the wide, wide world to choose from and a cast of candidates including the Wings may have gone with the one player bound to have a bad day with your best player.
Let me try to put this in perspective: As a partner in a relationship of nearly 40 years, I think I can safely say itâs a good thing the lovely wife and I no longer work in the same building. Living in the same house is occasionally fraught with peril. If I were to throw a basketball to her some days, she might not throw it back.
Not when I was looking, anyway.
Maybe Bueckers and Fudd â if theyâre still an item â are mature beyond their years. Maybe they can put aside any grievances for the good of the team.
Maybe theyâll never have a bad day.
But that is not the way to bet, which is why I asked if theyâd discussed relationships with any of the WNBA players on record about theirs. Others have made it work. In 2018, the âs Allie Quigley and got married. Three years later, they helped their team to a title. Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor didnât acknowledge their relationship until after they won three titles with the Mercury, at which point they married.
Curt Miller, the Wingsâ GM, has had experience with couples. Back when he was in , DeWanna Bonner and started dating in 2020, got engaged three years ago and now play for the Mercury. and , both of whom played for the Wings last year, acknowledged their relationship on social media before apparently splitting.
This much is clear: Millerâs not afraid of the potential challenges of couples on the roster, even if he wonât talk about it.
When I asked him after the news conference whose idea it was for the no comment, the players or the organization, he would only say they would âneverâ comment on athletesâ personal lives. Which sounds good, right? But whoâs speaking for whom? Hard to say. While Flenke issued the no comment, Fudd looked a little, well, befuddled. Bueckers wasnât among the teammates who showed up Thursday in support.
Before you say the media should stay out of athletesâ personal lives, you should know we butt in all the time. The vast majority of stories draw few objections. As and and any number of superstars over the years will tell you, we write about the love lives of male athletes, too. Because your personal life can impact your professional life.
So if itâs good enough for male athletes, shouldnât it be the same for female athletes playing *on the same team?*
Refusing to acknowledge whether players are still in a relationship after one of them went public about it a year ago suggests theyâve done something wrong, feeding an ugly narrative. What are we afraid of here? What are we saying when we try to hide something already out in the open?
If anyoneâs at fault here, itâs the Wings, who invited the obvious question by drafting Fudd when they had other options, then acted as if they were covering for something that didnât need hiding. Bueckers and Fudd didnât deserve this. No matter what their status from here on out, I wish them better luck.
Q&A
What did Azzi Fudd say about her relationship with Paige Bueckers?
Azzi Fudd did not comment on her relationship with Paige Bueckers during her introductory press conference, as the Wings' moderator declined to address players' personal lives.
Why is the relationship between Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers significant?
Their relationship is significant because both are former No. 1 picks in the WNBA, making it a unique dynamic in professional sports.
How did the Wings handle questions about Fudd and Bueckers' relationship?
The Wings' moderator interjected during the press conference, stating they would respectfully decline to comment on the players' personal lives.
What are the implications of having teammates in a romantic relationship in the WNBA?
Teammates in a romantic relationship can face unique challenges, but some couples have successfully navigated these dynamics in the past, as seen with other WNBA players.
