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Bueckers Calls Relationship with No. 1 Pick Fudd Private

4/29/2026

26 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Bueckers Defends Privacy

On April 27, 2026, Paige Bueckers said her relationship with teammate Azzi Fudd is private.
She will address it only once and will refer further questions to teammates or basketball topics.
She noted that Fudd earned the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft on her own merits.
The Wings blocked a reporter’s question at Fudd’s press conference and will open preseason April 30, 2026, before the regular season begins May 9, 2026.

Summary

Wings Secure Picks

The Dallas Wings won the WNBA lottery in 2025 and 2026, securing No. 1 overall picks.
They selected Paige Bueckers with the 2025 pick and Azzi Fudd with the 2026 pick, a top selection.
GM Curt Miller said the team scouted the 2026 draft and repeatedly chose Fudd.
The backcourt of Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale and Fudd aims to end the Wings’ 13-of-16 losing-season stretch after a 10-34 record in 2025.

History

Historical Context

The WNBA’s first draft in 1997 allocated 16 players, then held an elite draft and a four-round college draft, producing the Houston Comets core—Tina Thompson, Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes—that won four straight titles from 1997 to 2000. Decades later, the Dallas Wings secured back-to-back lottery wins in 2025 and 2026, selecting Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd as consecutive No. 1 picks, echoing the Comets’ early-era dominance.

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Bueckers Defends Privacy

On April 27, 2026, Paige Bueckers said her relationship with teammate Azzi Fudd is private.
She will address it only once and will refer further questions to teammates or basketball topics.
She noted that Fudd earned the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft on her own merits.
The Wings blocked a reporter’s question at Fudd’s press conference and will open preseason April 30, 2026, before the regular season begins May 9, 2026.

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