Dallas Wings guards Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have confirmed they ended their romantic relationship more than a year ago, pushing back against social media speculation that their personal history influenced the franchise’s decision to draft Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in April.
Setting the Record Straight on the Dallas Wings Roster
The backcourt duo addressed their relationship status on the Friday, November 6, 2026, episode of Fudd’s Fudd Around and Find Out
podcast, produced by iHeart Women’s Sports and Unanimous Media. Bueckers stated that the breakup occurred well before Fudd was selected with the top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
We’re not together anymore. It’s been, for everybody wondering — even though we don’t have to share — it’s been a while. Like, over a year. And [we wanted] to share that, because everybody seemed to be like, ‘Oh my god, they’re teammates, how is this going to work?’ We were not together before she got drafted, so all of those narratives can go to bed.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings guard
Fudd was selected No. 1 overall by Dallas in April, reuniting the former University of Connecticut teammates who previously won a national championship together in Storrs in 2025. Bueckers was selected first overall by the Wings in the 2025 WNBA draft, making them the first pair of college teammates taken with the top pick in consecutive drafts since Tina Charles and Maya Moore in 2010 and 2011, as reported by Bleacher Report.
Addressing Online Scrutiny and Team Professionalism
The public relationship became public in July 2025 when Bueckers referred to Fudd as her girlfriend during an interview on the TikTok show WAG Talk. Following Fudd’s arrival in Dallas, digital speculation intensified regarding how the former couple would function as professional teammates.
She was not drafted because she was my girlfriend. She was drafted because she deserved it. She’s an amazing human, amazing basketball player. And we’re still friends, we’re still cool.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings guard
Bueckers noted that because the separation happened over a year ago, they had already played an entire season as backcourt teammates following the split. Both players urged supporters to halt hostile messages directed at family members, friends, and teammates.
We’ve had stuff sent to us, stuff sent to our family, our friends. There’s been some crazy things said about us. We still support each other, we’re still going to be great friends, we’re still going to be great teammates. All the negative things can be put aside, and you don’t need to overanalyze everything.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings guard
Reflecting on the 2026 WNBA Season and Roster Moves
The Dallas Wings went 27-17 during the 2026 regular season, setting a franchise record and reaching the playoffs for the first time in three years. The team advanced to the postseason before falling to the eventual-champion Golden State Valkyries in a first-round series decided 2-1, according to the New York Post.
Bueckers earned her second consecutive All-Star selection and averaged 16 points on 40 percent shooting from the field during her WNBA playoff debut. Fudd’s rookie campaign concluded prematurely due to a right knee injury requiring surgery, though she finished the regular season ranking fourth among all rookies with 13.1 points per game while shooting 39.7 percent from beyond the arc across 30 appearances.
Looking ahead, the franchise is preparing to relocate its home games to the 19,000-seat American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas. The team previously played at the College Park Center in Arlington, which seats over 7,000, following the franchise’s relocation to Texas in 2016.
Long before their professional reunion in Texas, Bueckers and Fudd first crossed paths as teenagers attending USA Basketball’s U16 national team trials in 2017. Fudd was preparing to enter high school while Bueckers was heading into her sophomore year, and both ultimately made the squad that secured a gold medal in Argentina. Their four-year collegiate partnership at the University of Connecticut concluded when the team defeated South Carolina 82-59 on April 6, 2025, capturing the national championship. Fudd tallied 24 points in that matchup and earned Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors before being selected first overall by Dallas in 2026, joining Bueckers—who averaged 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists during the regular season while earning All-WNBA second-team honors.
Reflecting on her introduction to the postseason environment, Bueckers acknowledged the physical nature and high pressure of playoff basketball. Fudd summarized their shared sentiment regarding the public’s curiosity by noting that while questions are natural, they have addressed everything necessary and intend to keep the remainder of their private lives personal.
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