Dallas Wings stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd were candid about their the origins of their romantic relationship while UConn teammates in rare comments on the topic.
During a trailer for Apple TV’s new three-part docuseries, “The Dynasty: UConn Huskies” premiering Aug. 21, Bueckers and Fudd discussed their chemistry and “a spark” that felt different than a friendship.
“Azzi ended up joining the team my sophomore year,” Bueckers said. “It kinda just meshed as soon as we met. She’s sweet, she’s genuine, she has a huge, caring heart.
“We kind of felt a spark a little bit different than what would just be considered a normal friendship,” Bueckers said, adding that Fudd was the person she could “confide in that’s understanding of what I was going through” during the season.
Fudd explained that their personal relationship was “private,” although their inner circle knew about it.
“Paige and I are a couple, and everyone close to us that was important knew, but it was kind of one of those things, it’s just, it’s private. Not a secret, but it’s private,” she said.
Bueckers, 24, and Fudd, 23, won the NCAA women’s basketball national championship together when the Huskies defeated South Carolina 82–59 on April 6, 2025.
The Wings selected Bueckers No. 1 overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft eight days later.
The Apple TV docuseries — which chronicled UConn’s women’s basketball team under legendary head coach Geno Auriemma — filmed interviews in the summer of 2025.
Fudd recalled tension between Bueckers and Auriemma in the third episode of the series.
“We had conversations about, like, everything that was going on,” Fudd said, per People. “When things weren’t going right, it was usually all Paige’s fault.
“She said to me, ‘I came back for my fifth year because I thought we were gonna have things figured out and it was gonna be fun.’”
Auriemma wanted Bueckers to be a leader who demanded more of her teammates.
“For Paige, as the team leader, there was never any question physically about what she could do. It was always, where is she mentally?” Auriemma recalled. “Part of the issue was that she had this incredible sense of loyalty.
“She loved her teammates. It’s all great, but at the same time, if you’re loyal, that doesn’t preclude you from also being hard on them and being demanding of them.”
Bueckers and Fudd were reunited in the pros when Dallas selected Fudd with the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft in April.
During a press conference that month, Bueckers told reporters she would address the pair’s relationship once.
“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own, and what we choose to share is completely up to us,” Bueckers said.
“Me and Azzi have always been the most professional; we’ve always conducted ourselves as such and we’ve never let anything that happens off the court carry onto the court,” Bueckers said, adding, “And thats what we’ll continue to do.”
On Wednesday, the Wings announced Fudd will miss the remainder of the season and will “undergo an arthroscopic procedure to address ongoing right knee soreness.”
Fudd will have the surgery in Connecticut “early next week and will begin rehabbing immediately,” the Wings said.
In over 30 games this season, she averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks.
Fudd became the first rookie in league history to win the WNBA 3-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend in July.
