When the Dallas Wings announced Azzi Fudd as the first overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft, the reaction was immediate and deeply personal. For Fudd, a sharpshooter who has spent years battling through injuries to reclaim her place at the top of the game, the moment represented a professional peak. But for those following the trajectory of women’s basketball, the pick represented something more: a reunion.
By selecting Fudd, the Wings have brought together two of the most recognizable names in the sport, reuniting her with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. While the move provides Dallas with an elite perimeter threat, it also formalizes a professional partnership between two athletes whose lives have been intertwined for nearly a decade. Understanding Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers’ relationship requires looking past the box scores to a bond forged in high school tryouts, shared collegiate heartbreak, and a confirmed romantic partnership.
The reunion is a rare alignment of franchise needs and personal history. Together, Fudd and Bueckers led the UConn Huskies to the 2025 national championship, a victory that served as a crowning achievement for a duo that had spent much of their college career separated by separate ACL tears. After hearing her name called, Fudd told Holly Rowe on ESPN, “I’m excited to play again with Paige. She’s an incredible person, an incredible player. It’s going to be fun.”
The Basketball Case for the No. 1 Pick
In the wake of the draft, some observers have questioned whether the Wings prioritized the personal connection between Fudd and Bueckers over other available talent. However, the basketball justification for the pick is substantial. Fudd enters the league as one of the most decorated 3-point shooting prospects in history, bringing a level of maturity and readiness that raw younger prospects often lack. At 23, she is positioned to contribute to the Wings’ rotation immediately.
The Wings’ strategy leading up to the draft also signaled a clear direction. After spending significant capital to shore up their frontcourt during free agency, the team shifted its focus away from post players like UCLA’s Lauren Betts or Spain’s Awa Fam. Fudd’s ability to stretch the floor complements the existing roster and aligns with the team’s demand for perimeter scoring.
While it is likely that the Wings considered the chemistry between Fudd and Bueckers—the face of their franchise—the move is not a “reach.” In professional sports, particularly the NBA and WNBA, general managers often consider the happiness and preferences of their star players when building a roster. Integrating a teammate with whom the franchise player already possesses a shorthand and a deep trust is often viewed as a strategic advantage rather than a concession.
A Decade of Shared History
The bond between Fudd and Bueckers began long before the bright lights of the WNBA. The two first met in 2017 during high school tryouts for Team USA. In a candid reflection on their early days, Fudd recalled not being initially impressed by the then-skinny Bueckers, remembering that she felt she had a better chance of making the team than the girl she was watching play.
That initial skepticism quickly evaporated as they recognized each other’s talent. The two remained close through their recruitment years, with Bueckers even launching a #GetAzziToUconn campaign on social media to encourage Fudd to commit to the Huskies. That effort paid off, and the two became the focal points of the UConn program.
Their path to the professional ranks was not a linear one. Both athletes faced the grueling process of ACL recovery—Bueckers missing Fudd’s sophomore season, and Fudd missing Bueckers’ junior season. This cycle of injury and rehabilitation created a support system that extended beyond the court. In a 2021 feature for SLAM Magazine, Bueckers described Fudd as her “ride or die,” noting that they confided in each other during the demanding times that the public and the cameras never saw.
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Team USA Tryouts | Initial meeting during high school years |
| 2019 | UConn Commitment | Bueckers recruits Fudd to the Huskies via social media |
| 2025 | NCAA Championship | Led UConn to title. Fudd named Most Outstanding Player |
| 2026 | WNBA Draft | Reunited as teammates on the Dallas Wings |
Navigating Love and Professionalism in the WNBA
The personal nature of the Fudd-Bueckers partnership became public knowledge last summer. Ahead of the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Bueckers confirmed via a TikTok video that Fudd was her girlfriend. Since then, the pair has maintained a level of privacy regarding their relationship, focusing primarily on their athletic pursuits.
Credit: Getty Images
While the spotlight on this particular couple is intense, the WNBA has a long and successful history of couples playing together. Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot famously led the Chicago Sky to a 2021 championship as a married couple. Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor spent years as teammates on the Phoenix Mercury, winning multiple titles together before eventually marrying in 2017. More recently, DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas have navigated the league as a couple, with Thomas emphasizing to the San Francisco Chronicle that they maintain a strict professional boundary, ensuring basketball does not carry over into their personal relationship.
The Dallas Wings are also uniquely equipped to manage this dynamic. General Manager Curt Miller brings a wealth of experience in this area, having served as the head coach in Connecticut during the early stages of the Bonner and Thomas relationship. Miller is widely recognized as the first openly gay male head coach in the professional or Division I college ranks, providing a supportive and understanding leadership structure for the duo.
As the Wings prepare for the upcoming season, the focus will remain on whether this personal chemistry translates into on-court dominance. The duo has already proven they can win at the highest collegiate level; the next challenge is adapting that synergy to the speed and physicality of the professional game.
The next major checkpoint for the pair will be the start of the WNBA regular season, where the world will notice how the Fudd-Bueckers partnership operates under the pressure of a professional schedule. For the Dallas Wings, the gamble is simple: they have acquired a world-class shooter and ensured their superstar is playing alongside her most trusted ally.
Do you think the personal chemistry between star players helps or hinders a team’s professional dynamics? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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