The careers of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd are inextricably linked, bonded by shared loyalty to UConn and the WNBA's Wings, as well as a memorable romance.
Alas, times are a-changing in Dallas for the duo. As it turns out, they've been changing for some time.
Bueckers and Fudd made an eye-catching revelation on Fudd's podcast, ending months of speculation regarding the nature of their relationship. Here's what you need to know.
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Bueckers and Fudd revealed that they are not dating one another anymore in the latest episode of Fudd's podcast, "Fudd Around and Find Out." In fact, the pairing split up more than a year ago, meaning that the Wings' decision to select Fudd No. 1 in the 2026 WNBA Draft was not a decision made to appease her purported girlfriend, Bueckers.
"We're not together anymore," Bueckers said. "It's been a while, it's been like over a year."
"We were not together before she got drafted so all those narratives can go to bed," she added. "She was not drafted because she was my girlfriend. She was drafted because she deserved it. She’s an amazing human, amazing basketball player. We're still friends, we're still cool. ... We played an entire season together. We're the utmost professional, we care about basketball."
WNBA stars, Paige Bueckers & Azzi Fudd, reveal that they BROKE UP over a year ago and they weren’t dating when Azzi got drafted to the Dallas Wings 💔👀 Paige & Azzi were teammates in college with the UConn Huskies and they are currently teammates on the Dallas Wings “She was not drafted because she was my girlfriend. She was drafted because she deserved it. She’s an amazing human, amazing basketball player. We’re still friends, we’re still cool… We’re the utmost professional.”
— Slime🐍 (@ItsKingSlime) November 6, 2026Bueckers and Fudd railed against people using them as avatars to insult other players, including their teammates and loved ones.
"Why would you tear people down to lift us up," Bueckers said. "That's never been something we've stood for."
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The Dallas duo offered hints of insight into why they ended their romance, emphasizing they remain committed to embracing their friendship throughout their Wings tenure.
"Sometimes in life, there's just seasons," Bueckers said. "And sometimes in life, two people are just at different points in their life. We still support each other, we're still going to be great friends, we're still going to be great teammates, we're going to be professionals.
"We are still going to have other friends, we will eventually move on. I know we will continue to be outside and be lit and have a good time so we should not get punished for that as well."
Bueckers and Fudd's first season as teammates in the WNBA was fairly successful. Fueled by their showings — as well as impressive displays by Jessica Shephard — the Wings returned to the postseason for the first time since 2023. Bueckers earned her second-straight All-WNBA second team nod while Fudd landed on the All-Rookie team despite being ruled out for the remainder of the season in August.
Dallas sent its first-round series against the title-winning Valkyries to a decisive fifth game. If Fudd was healthy, it's possible that things could have been different.
Bueckers and Fudd figure to star on Dallas' roster for many more seasons. The tightness of their friendship — and the nature of their on-court chemistry — appears a strong building block for the Wings as they attempt to move one step closer to a first title since rebranding in 2016.
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