This wasn't how the Dallas Wings wanted their new star's first media introduction.
The Wings introduced their 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick, Azzi Fudd, in a press conference on Thursday, marking his official arrival as a professional player. The former UConn star joins the franchise that selected her college teammate Paige Bueckers with the top pick in the 2025 draft.
The two players, who first met while competing for the Huskies, now form a highly anticipated backcourt duo in Dallas.
During the session, a reporter dallas morning news A question from Fudd asked whether she and Bueckers would remain in a romantic relationship — which Bueckers publicly acknowledged on social media last year — and whether the pair had consulted with other WNBA couples about navigating the unique dynamics of being both teammates and partners.
Before Fudd could respond, a member of Wings' public relations staff quickly intervened.
"I understand why you have to ask this question, but we respectfully decline to comment on the personal lives of our players," the person said.
This moment created an immediate sense of unease in the room, as the team chose to treat the questioning as out of bounds. Fudd's expression remained largely unchanged during the conversation and the press conference continued without further discussion of the topic.
Well, his expression was mostly Unchanged. At one point, you can actually see Fudd's eyebrows furrowed as if he was surprised and confused as to why the team wouldn't let him answer the question. To keep an eye …
A reporter asked Ezy Fudd about his relationship with Paige Bueckers, but the Wings' media team said they would not comment on their players' personal lives. pic.twitter.com/iH3enGfoVE
- The Sporting News (@sportingnews) 16 April 2026
This goes back to my previous claim that it is the team that is trying to eliminate the relationship aspect, because they don't want to be accused of acting like the Lakers, and drafting someone based on trying to please their star.
Veteran sports journalist Jeff Pearlman recently accused the league of pressuring reporters to ignore or downplay the long-standing romantic relationship between Fudd and Bueckers, calling it "the number one piece of this story."
Pearlman argued that the Wings had essentially set up Fudd to reunite him with his fellow Bueckers on the court – and in life – but said it was the league itself that was trying to stay away from the obvious.
He said, "Ezzie Fudd and Paige Bueckers are in a long-term relationship, and no one is mentioning it. And the WNBA has apparently asked people not to mention it. And that's very confusing to me journalistically."
"Like, it's fascinating that these two guys who have been dating for a long time, dating since college, would be the starting backcourt for a team. To me, that's really the number one piece of this story. It's not that they drafted AZ Fudd, they drafted AZ Fudd to play with his longtime teammate, Paige Bueckers."
The fact that the Wings went out of their way to shut this down should inspire good sports journalists — if there are any left — to keep the pressure on this matter.
Fans have a right to know whether their team selected someone in the draft based on their personal relationships, not whether they were actually worthy of being selected number one.
