DALLAS — Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd broke up more than a year ago, before the former UConn stars became teammates again with the Dallas Wings as back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA draft.
Fudd was the first to say on the latest episode of her podcast released Friday that she and Bueckers were no longer dating. Bueckers followed up by saying it had been more than a year, her way of trying to end speculation that the Wings drafted Fudd to appease Bueckers.
“She was not drafted because she was my girlfriend. She was drafted because she deserved it,” Bueckers said in an appearance on “Fudd Around and Find Out.” “She’s an amazing human, amazing basketball player. And we’re still friends. We’re still cool.”
A Wings spokeswoman refused to let Fudd answer a question about her relationship with Bueckers during Fudd's introductory news conference last spring.
In her first meeting with reporters at the start of training camp about two weeks later, Bueckers addressed the topic in an opening statement, saying she and Fudd had always acted professionally on the court while declining to offer any details about their relationship.
Bueckers referred to Fudd as her girlfriend in an interview in July 2025, after they won a national championship together at UConn.
Bueckers was the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year and is a two-time All-Star who helped lead the Wings to the playoffs last season. Dallas lost to eventual champion Golden State in the first round.
Fudd's rookie year was plagued by right knee trouble, and she was shut down after 30 games to undergo arthroscopic surgery. She became a full-time starter after coming off the bench the first six games and averaged 13.1 points.
___
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
