DALLAS — The Dallas Wings introduced Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft, at a news conference on Thursday where a team public relations staffer declined to address questions about her personal life. Fudd answered only basketball-related questions at the event. When asked about Fudd's relationship with Dallas teammate Paige Bueckers, the staffer said, "Understand why you have to ask that question, we're going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players' personal lives."

Fudd spoke about rejoining Bueckers at the professional level. "I'm so excited to play again with Paige. She's an incredible person, an incredible player and it's gonna be a lot of fun," Fudd said.

Fudd and Bueckers were teammates at UConn and confirmed in 2025 that they were dating. The two first met at the USA Basketball U16 national team camp in 2017. In a July interview, Bueckers referred to Fudd as her Division I girlfriend.

Bueckers described the pairing as long-anticipated. "This is stuff we talked about since we were freshmen in high school. Being at this stage, we got to be together in college, we got to play together at the junior Olympic level, now we get to play in the WNBA together, it's just a dream come true," she said. Bueckers also said of Fudd, "She knows how to play and play the right way."

In her final season at UConn, Fudd averaged 17.3 points per game on 47 percent shooting. She was named the 2025 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after the Huskies won the national championship, defeating South Carolina 82-59.

The 2026 WNBA draft was held April 13, 2026 at The Shed in New York, where Fudd and Bueckers posed for a photo together on the orange carpet. Former UConn teammates Sarah Strong and KK Arnold attended the draft. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma did not attend because he was at a celebration of life.

Dallas finished the previous WNBA season with a 10-34 record. The Wings selected Fudd with the first pick as the franchise looks to build around two high-profile players.