Sports

Dallas Wings Show Off Paige Bueckers-Azzi Fudd Connection at Training Camp

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd played four years together at UConn and won the 2025 national championship before the Dallas Wings made Bueckers the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

They were reunited when the Wings drafted Fudd at No. 1 overall last Monday, and

The mainstream has been filled with conjecture about the nature of Bueckers and Fudd’s personal relationship, but that’s frankly none of our business and not what Wings fans should care about.

Bueckers and Fudd picked up right where they left off at Wings’ training camp on Monday.

The Wings posted a video showing Bueckers pushing the ball to Fudd on a fast break, and Fudd nailing a three:

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On Sunday, Bueckers spoke with reporters about what she expects Fudd to bring to the Wings.

“Obviously, we have a lot of experience going back to when we were like 16 playing together, and I think I know her game really well. She knows my game really well,” Bueckers said. “So, to be able to back in this stage - to live out our dreams. This is stuff we talked about since we were freshmen in high school, being at this stage.”

Bueckers added, “She just affects the game in so many different ways. Obviously, everybody talks about her shooting ability, but it’s her ability to slash, to cut, her IQ. Defensively, she disrupts a lot of stuff.”

Bueckers also noted Fudd’s 40-plus percent three-point shooting will provide spacing and should “do a lot of great things for us,” as illustrated by the Wings’ clip.

The Wings are banking on Bueckers’ and Fudd’s prolific UConn connection to translate to the WNBA.

Dallas earned the No. 1 overall pick by finishing with a league-worst 10-34 record in 2025, despite Bueckers immediately showing superstar potential as an All-Star and All-WNBA guard and the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

There is precedent for teams picking No. 1 overall in back-to-back years winning a championship in relatively short order.

In 2015 and 2016, the Seattle Storm drafted Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart, respectively, and won the 2018 WNBA Finals. In 2018 and 2019, the Las Vegas Aces drafted A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, respectively, and have won three WNBA titles since 2022.

The jury’s still out for the Wings and the Indiana Fever, who selected Aliyah Boston first overall in 2023, followed by Caitlin Clark first overall in 2024.

Ironically, the Fever and Wings will open the 2026 season against each other on May 9.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 3:56 PM.

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