ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers said her relationship with teammate and fellow No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd will have no effect on what they do on the court as they try to turn around a franchise with a long history of losing.

Bueckers made a statement before taking questions from reporters during media day for the Wings on Monday at the University of Texas at Arlington, where the WNBA team plays home games.

kAm%96 DE2E6>6?E 7C@> qF64<6CD 42>6 “ 52JD 27E6C E96 (:?8D H@F=5?VE =6E uF55 2?DH6C 2 BF6DE:@? 23@FE 96C C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 96C 7@C>6C &r@?? E62>>2E6 5FC:?8 uF55VD :?EC@5F4E@CJ ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 😕 s2==2D]k^Am

kAm%96 EH@ H6?E AF3=:4 H:E9 E96:C C6=2E:@?D9:A =2DE J62C[ 27E6C H:??:?8 2 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A E@86E96C 😕 qF64<6CDV 7:?2= D62D@? 2E &r@??[ 2?5 92G6?VE 255C6DD65 E96 DE2EFD @7 E92E C6=2E:@?D9:A D:?46 E96 5C27E]k^Am

kAm“”F:E6 7C2?<=J[ x 36=:6G6 >6 2?5 pKK:’D A6CD@?2= C6=2E:@?D9:A 😀 ?@3@5J’D 3FD:?6DD 3FE @FC @H?[” qF64<6CD D2:5] “p?5 H92E H6 49@@D6 E@ D92C6 😀 4@>A=6E6=J FA E@ FD] qFE 2D >65:2 >6>36CD[ x F?56CDE2?5 J@F 8FJD 92G6 2 ;@3 E@ 5@] p?5 J@F 8FJD 92G6 E@ 2D< BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 32D<6E32== 2DA64E @7 :E] $@ E92E’D H92E x’== 36 255C6DD:?8 E@52J]”k^Am

kAmqF64<6CD[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A2:86\3F64<6CD\H?32\C@@<:6\@7\J62C\a42_bcg3“4hf2d2225`c452_da7bbgdQmC6:8?:?8 (}qp #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62Ck^2m[ D2:5 E96 (:?8D 5C27E:?8 uF55 925 ?@E9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 96C] p7E6C H:??:?8 2 E:E=6 H:E9 qF64<6CD[ uF55VD &r@?? E62> =@DE E@ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 😕 E96 u:?2= u@FC E9:D >@?E9]k^Am

kAm“|6 2?5 pKK: 92G6 2=H2JD 366? E96 FE>@DE AC@76DD:@?2=D[” qF64<6CD D2:5] “(6’G6 2=H2JD 4@?5F4E65 @FCD6=G6D 2D DF49] p?5 H6’G6 ?6G6C =6E 2?JE9:?8 E92E 92AA6?D @77 E96 4@FCE 42CCJ @?E@ E96 4@FCE]”k^Am

kAmuF55 >6E H:E9 C6A@CE6CD 23@FE EH@ 9@FCD 367@C6 qF64<6CD 5:5 @? >65:2 52J 2?5 H2D?VE 2D<65 23@FE E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A]k^Am

kAmqF64<6CD H2D 2 E9C66\E:>6 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD p==\p>6C:42? 2E &r@??[ 2?5 uF55 ;@:?65 E92E =:DE =2DE D62D@?] %96J H6C6 E@86E96C 7@C E9C66 D62D@?D H:E9 E96 wFD<:6D]k^Am

kAm“|6 2?5 pKK: 2C6 ?@E ?6H E@ E9:D[” qF64<6CD D2:5] “(6’G6 366? 5@:?8 E9:D 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6] (6 92G6 4@F?E=6DD C6AD 2E :E] (6 92G6 2 =@E @7 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 :E] $@ H6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ FD6 E92E 6IA6C:6?46 E@ D9@H FA 2?5 36 AC@76DD:@?2=D[ 8C62E E62>>2E6D[ 8C62E =6256CD[ E96 92C56DE H@C<6CD 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ D9@H FA 2?5 5@ @FC ;@3 2?5 96=A E96 s2==2D (:?8D H:? 32D<6E32== 82>6D]”k^Am

kAm(96? uF55 H2D :?EC@5F465[ (:?8D 86?6C2= >2?286C rFCE |:==6C D2:5 E96 4=F3 5:5?VE 96D:E2E6 @? 2 564:D:@? E92E 25565 E@ 2? 2=C625J 6=:E6 324<4@FCE H:E9 qF64<6CD 2?5 7@FC\E:>6 p==\$E2C pC:<6 ~8F?3@H2=6]k^Am

kAm“$:?46 E96 >@>6?E H6 D64FC65 E96 }@] ` A:4<[ H6 D6E @FE @? 2 A=2? E@ 36 56=:36C2E6[ E9@C@F89[ H:E9 :?E6?E:@?[ @? 6G2=F2E:?8 H96C6 H6 8@E E@ F=E:>2E6=J 😕 A:4<:?8 pKK: uF55[” |:==6C D2:5] “(6 EC2G6=65 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5 H2E49:?8 E9:D :?4C65:3=6 5C27E 4=2DD[ 3FE :E 2== 42>6 324< 2=H2JD E@ pKK:]”k^Am

kAmqF64<6CD H2D 2 CF?2H2J H:??6C 7@C E96 C@@<:6 2H2C5 27E6C 2G6C28:?8 `h]a A@:?ED[ d]c 2DD:DED 2?5 b]h C63@F?5D A6C 82>6] qFE E96 (:?8D E:65 7@C =2DE A=246 😕 E96 (}qp[ 2?5 E96:C bc =@DD6D H6C6 EH:46 2D >2?J 2D qF64<6CD 6IA6C:6?465 😕 7@FC D62D@?D 4@>3:?65 2E &r@??] xE H2D E96 `bE9 =@D:?8 C64@C5 😕 E96 A2DE `e D62D@?D 7@C E96 7C2?49:D6]k^Am

kAm“%96 H2J D96 8@6D 23@FE E9:?8D[ D96 2=H2JD D66D :E 2D 2 492==6?86[ 2D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 8C@H[” uF55 D2:5 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9] “$@ =2DE J62C :E H2D[ D96’D ?@E FD65 E@ =@D:?8[ 3FE 9@H 42? D96 E2<6 E9@D6 =@DD6D[ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 8C@H[ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 2 8C62E =6256C[ >2<6 6G6CJ@?6 2C@F?5 96C 36EE6C] $@ :7 x 42? 25@AE 2?JE9:?8 7C@> 96C[ E92E’D 567:?:E6=J @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E x H2?E E@ <:?5 @7 FD6 7@C >JD6=7]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}qpk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.