Paige Bueckers says relationship with Azzi Fudd ended before they became Wings teammates - USA Today
Former UConn women's basketball stars and current Dallas Wings teammates Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have confirmed they are no longer dating.
“Well, before we continue with anything else, Paige and I have something that we want to share with everyone. We are no longer together. I don’t know how else to say that,” Fudd said on her podcast "Fudd Around and Find Out."
Bueckers continued: "I mean, yeah, we’re not together anymore. It’s been everybody wondering, even though we don’t have to share, but it’s been a while. It’s been over a year."
Their relationship had been the subject of speculation on social media, particularly as the possibility of the former UConn teammates playing together in Dallas emerged last spring before the WNBA draft.
Bueckers made clear the breakup happened well before Fudd was choosen by the Wings No. 1 overall in 2026 and pushed back on any suggestion their past relationship played a role in bringing them together as teammates.
"We want to share that because everybody is going to be like, 'Oh my gosh, they’re teammates. How is this going to work?'" Bueckers said. "We were not together before she got drafted, so all of those narratives can go to bed.
"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."
Last April, the Dallas Wings introduced Fudd to the community and welcomed her with an introductory press conference. She was asked a pointed question about whether she was still in a relationship with Bueckers.
“Paige (Bueckers) announced last year on TikTok that ya’ll were a couple," the person said. "And I’m wondering if that’s still the case, and if so, have ya’ll talked to any other couples in the league about how they negotiate that dynamic as pro teammates?”
Before Fudd could respond, Wings public relations stepped in to decline the question.
On the podcast on Friday, Bueckers asked the haters to stop being negative about the two of them and their relationship status.
“We’ve seen a lot of negativity. We’ve seen a lot of hate. We’ve had stuff sent to us. We’ve had stuff sent to our family, our friends,” she said. “And so, like, I hate that we have to address this, but just to control the narrative, like, there’s been some crazy things said about us. I feel like I set the precedent in this, but to readdress it. Sometimes in life, there’s just seasons. And sometimes in life, two people are just at different points of their life.”
Fudd added: “Also, we don't need messages on what the other person is doing."
Bueckers acknowledged eventually the two will move on and see other people. But when it comes to basketball, "We're the utmost professional. We care about basketball, and we're still friends."
“At the end of the day, like, we still care about each other. We want the best for each other," she said.
