The Dallas Wings selected former UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd with the number one pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. Interestingly enough, Fudd and Paige Bueckers, Dallas’ number one pick in the 2025 draft, went public with their romantic relationship last year.
At her introductory press conference, a reporter asked Fudd about her relationship with Bueckers and the dynamic it could have as the two navigate being professional athletes.
“Paige announced last year on TikTok that y’all were a couple,” the reporter said. “And I’m wondering if that’s still the case, and if so, if y’all have talked to other couples in the league about how they negotiate that dynamic as pro teammates?”
Wings PR stepped in and shot down the question.
“I understand why you have to ask that question, but we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives,” the rep said off camera.
The response to the question sparked a debate online about whether it was an appropriate question to ask in the first place, and also if it was the best way for the Wings organization to respond.
WNBA reporter Annie Costabile believed it to be a valid question and that the franchise should’ve let Fudd answer for herself.
Costabile may have a point, considering Wings GM Curt Miller only last season alluded to acquiring NaLyssa Smith with the full knowledge that it could have a positive impact on the franchise’s ability to bring in her girlfriend at the time, DiJonai Carrington.
“We knew if we could get NaLyssa in a trade, then even more we could get DiJonai in free agency,” Miller said.
While the Wings’ effort was valiant, it may have been better to address the elephant in the room head-on, rather than trying to circumvent it entirely.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.