Paige Bueckers addresses relationship with Azzi Fudd at Wings’ media day

The Dallas Wings held their media day on Monday, one week after opening training camp. That gave reporters another opportunity to address one of the primary questions surrounding this year’s team.

And this time, the relationship between Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers was addressed directly.

“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relatinoship is nobody’s business but our own,” Bueckers said in a statement to reporters on Monday. “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,” she continued, adding that she had nothing to do with the Wings drafting Fudd being selected with the first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Bueckers concluded by saying she does not intend to address the matter any more this season.

Fudd, drafted No. 1 overall, and Bueckers — 2025’s top selection and the league’s Rookie of the Year — publicly revealed they were a couple last summer after being teammates at UConn for four seasons. However, the two hadn’t spoken about their relationship since then.

Yet that circumstance creates a dynamic that stokes curiosity among media and fans, even if other WNBA teams have included players involved in relationships. Last year’s Wings team had NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington, who went public as a couple. However, Smith was later traded to the Las Vegas Aces and Carrington was dealt to the Minnesota Lynx. They have since broken up.

So it was understandable for a reporter to ask Fudd about her relationship with Bueckers during her introductory press conference. Yet the Wings made the issue more of a story by stepping in for Fudd and declining to answer the question.

Had Fudd or someone on the Wings’ PR team issued a statement like the one Bueckers made on Monday, the story could have moved on.

Could someone have still asked Fudd and Bueckers about their relationship or whether or not they are still a couple? Certainly. But the team could have referred to the earlier statement or even repeated it. Bueckers essentially said as much in her remarks.

At the very least, Wings’ PR appeared to learn a lesson in how to handle this matter. Perhaps Fudd didn’t want to face the question and the team was trying to protect her, even if it was going to be asked. But shutting a line of questioning down without answering it doesn’t make it go away, especially when the exchange is recorded for all to see.

If Fudd, Bueckers and the Wings only wanted to talk about basketball, now that can be done. And there are valid questions to be asked that don’t delve into personal territory, such as how the two will mesh together on the court. Will one be more of a scorer (Bueckers led Dallas with 19.2 points per game) and the other a playmaker? Could overall team chemistry be affected?

Such conversation can probably begin with noting that Fudd and Bueckers won a national championship with UConn in 2025.

With their new backcourt, re-signing Arike Ogunbowale, and adding free agents Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith, the Wings have work to do in rebounding from last season’s 10-34 record, which tied for the worst in the WNBA. That can be the story surrounding the team now.