A question about the state of the relationship between Dallas Wings draft pick Azzi Fudd and teammate Paige Bueckers was shut down at a news conference Thursday.
The two won a national championship together at the University of Connecticut in April 2025, and Bueckers confirmed it relationship on TikTok a few months later.
But the news that Dallas opted to reunite the couple after picking Fudd No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft was sidestepped.
“Paige (Bueckers) announced last year on TikTok you were a couple,” a reporter told Fudd at the meeting. “And I’m wondering if that’s still the case, and if so, have you talked to other couples in the league about how they negotiate that dynamic as professional teammates?”
“I understand why you have to ask that question,” Wings communications officer Pam Flenke interjected. “But we will respectfully decline to comment on any player’s personal life.”
Several stories about the draft avoided the Jeff Pearlman romantic storyline noted on TikTok:
“Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers are in a long-term relationship, and no one is mentioning it. And the WNBA has clearly asked people not to say anything about it. And it’s very journalistically confusing to me.”
“Like, it’s fascinating that these two people who have been dating for a long time, dating back to their college days, would be the starting backcourt of a team. To me, that’s actually the No. 1 part of this story. It’s not just that they drafted Azzi Fudd, they drafted Azzi Fudd to play with her longtime partner, Paige Bueckers.”
Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News, who said he asked the question that was shot down, called out the league and the team for a double standard in a column.
“Before you say that the media should stay out of athletes’ personal lives, know that we interfere in them all the time,” he wrote. “The vast majority of stories raise few objections Dak Prescott And Dirk Nowitzki and a host of Dallas superstars over the years will tell you, we also write about the love lives of male athletes. Because your personal life can have an impact on your professional life. So if it’s good enough for male athletes, shouldn’t it be the same for female athletes playing on the same team?”
HuffPost reached out to Fudd, Flenke and the WNBA for comment.
Melanie Fidler via Getty Images
