Dallas Wings stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have spent an entire WNBA season playing alongside each other while keeping a significant change in their personal lives private.
The former UConn teammates revealed Friday that they ended their romantic relationship more than a year ago, well before Dallas selected Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Their announcement came during Fudd’s podcast, “Fudd Around and Find Out,” where Bueckers appeared as a guest. The podcast, produced by iHeart Women’s Sports and Unanimous Media, is available in full on iHeartRadio.
The revelation also allowed Bueckers to address speculation that her relationship with Fudd influenced the Wings’ draft decision.
Paige Bueckers Reveals Breakup Happened Before Azzi Fudd’s Draft
About six minutes into the episode, Fudd interrupted the usual conversation to make an announcement.
“We are no longer together,” Fudd said, laughing as she struggled to find another way to deliver the news.
Bueckers quickly clarified the timeline.
“We broke up over a year ago, so we played an entire season together,” Bueckers said.
She also rejected suggestions that Dallas selected Fudd to reunite a romantic couple.
“She was not drafted because she was my girlfriend,” Bueckers said. “She was drafted because she deserved it.”
The explanation puts a different perspective on the excitement surrounding Fudd’s arrival in Dallas.
Bueckers was the Wings’ first overall selection in 2025, one year before the franchise used another No. 1 pick on her former UConn teammate.
Their reunion became one of the biggest stories of the 2026 WNBA offseason.
But according to Bueckers, their relationship had already ended long before draft night.
Wings Stars Address Online Speculation and Criticism
Bueckers and Fudd also addressed the attention surrounding their relationship, particularly the criticism directed toward their teammates, friends and families.
“We don’t stand for hate of any kind,” Bueckers said.
She expressed frustration with people interpreting ordinary basketball interactions as evidence of tension between them.
Bueckers even mentioned a missed high-five that attracted attention online, explaining that routine moments between teammates should not become relationship controversies.
“Sometimes in life, two people are just at different points of their life,” she said.
Bueckers emphasized that both players remain supportive of each other and intend to maintain their friendship.
Fudd agreed, adding that they had shared everything they wanted to make public.
The two also discouraged fans from monitoring or reporting each other’s personal activities.
Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd Remain Central to Wings’ Future
Whatever changed away from basketball, their partnership on the court helped Dallas make substantial progress in 2026.
The Wings finished 27-17 and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Bueckers earned her second consecutive All-WNBA second-team selection, averaging 20.9 points and 5.9 assists.
Fudd averaged 13.1 points in 30 games before a knee injury ended her rookie season. She also became the first rookie to win the WNBA 3-Point Contest.
The former UConn national champions now face another important season together as Dallas prepares to move into American Airlines Center.
Their relationship has changed, but Bueckers made clear that their commitment to the Wings has not.
“We’re the utmost professionals,” she said. “We care about basketball, and we’re still friends.”
Wings Drama? Paige Bueckers Reveals Azzi Fudd Breakup Timeline