You've Got Questions, But Don't Ask Them

The Dallas Wings had the No. 1 pick in last year's WNBA Draft.  They did the obvious thing and took Paige Bueckers, the clear No. 1 player available.  The Wings had the No. 1 pick again this year.  They took Azzi Fudd.  Bueckers and Fudd have been dating since they were teammates at UConn.  That's obviously a story and obviously raises plenty of questions.  Too bad they don't want to answer any.

Both Bueckers and Fudd refuse to comment about their personal relationship, insisting it's nobody's business.  They're absolutely right about that.  But, unfortunately, "No comment" isn't really a satisfactory answer to these legitimate questions.  Especially since they're now both professionals and dealing with the media is part of the deal.  And answering "No comment" will only make them want an answer that much more.

It's not like the team is helping the cause, either.  In fact, it could be argued that the Wings are making it worse.  At Fudd's introductory press conference, they essentially made any questions about their relationship and being teammates off limits.  Which, again, doesn't do anything to quell any controversy.  It only makes people more curious.  And, frankly, my questions are more for the Wings than for Bueckers and Fudd.

For starters, did the Wings take Fudd at No. 1 because she was the best player available or because of Bueckers?  If they took her because they thought she was the best player and it had nothing to do with Bueckers, just say that!  That would put an end to the questions right there.  By not answering, it just leads to more questions.  Questions like: If Bueckers wasn't on the team, would they have taken someone else?

Dallas was in an unenviable position here.  There's no denying that.  As soon as they ended up with the No. 1 pick again, the Wings knew what the situation would be.  Take Azzi Fudd and deal with the questions (or not deal with the questions) or take somebody else.  If they had taken someone else, people wouldn't have been asking the same questions.  In fact, they would've been asking the opposite questions.  "Why didn't you take her when you already have Paige on the team?"

They had other viable options, too.  Fudd wasn't the clear and obvious No. 1 that Bueckers and Catilin Clark were in the previous two years.  Dallas easily could've taken Olivia Miles or Lauren Betts and nobody would've questioned it.  Instead, they opted to take Azzi Fudd.  A selection that no one would've questioned if not for Paige Bueckers already being on the Wings.  The Bueckers connection is the only reason it's even a story.

Meanwhile, if they didn't have the No. 1 pick again, the Wings might've been able to avoid the conversation entirely.  In an ideal world, somebody else has the No. 1 pick and takes Fudd, meaning they have to take someone else.  Of course, the possibility for them to take Fudd still could've existed if they were picking, say third, and she was still available.  But there would've been far fewer questions asked if the Wings picked later in the draft and still took her.  Because, at that point, it would've been "she's the best player available."

While that second scenario is an obvious hypothetical, the first is exactly what happened.  And the Wings had to know those questions were coming, especially since they eventually did draft Fudd at No. 1.  The questions aren't unreasonable, either.  So, there's no reason to dodge them.  The nonanswering them is making this a bigger story than it actually is...and needs to be.

A'ja Wilson is dating Bam Adebayo.  They both get asked about the other all the time.  Neither seems to have an issue with it.  They know that it comes with the territory and answer professionally.  No one wants to know the gory details of their personal lives, which they're completely entitled to keep private.  But, as the best player in the WNBA in a relationship with an NBA player and vice versa, they can't avoid the questions.

Here's the thing, too.  No one cares about Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd's relationship.  They aren't the first WNBA players to be dating/married to a teammate and they won't be the last.  Diana Taurasi played alongside her wife Penny Taylor in Phoenix for years.  Ditto with Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley in Chicago.  Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner got together when they both played for the Sun, and Bonner has now joined Thomas on the Mercury.  So, Bueckers and Fudd being teammates isn't exactly groundbreaking.

This isn't something unique to the WNBA, either.  It seemed like half the U.S. women's soccer team was in a relationship with a teammate at one point.  There are plenty of examples in the PWHL, as well.  And, during the Olympics, how many stories did we hear about competitors or teammates who ended up getting married?  None of these relationships are a big deal.  And the Paige Bueckers/Azzi Fudd relationship isn't a big deal, either.  If not for their attitudes towards simply being asked the question, no one would even think twice about it.

That's really my only real problem with Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and the Dallas Wings.  They aren't just avoiding the topic.  They're acting offended by the fact that people have questions, then outraged by those people having the temerity to ask them!  It's a ridiculous way to be handling the situation.  And, because of that, they're making it a bigger deal than it is.  Their refusal to even address it is the only reason this even is a story.

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd's personal lives are nobody else's business.  No one is claiming they are or should be.  Those aren't the questions that are being asked, either.  It's not an invasion of their privacy to wonder how their relationship will affect them on the court or if they're happy to be playing together instead of against each other.  Nor is it unprofessional to wonder if the Wings drafted Fudd because of Bueckers.  In fact, it would be unprofessional to not ask that question!

Maybe once the season starts, this will become less of an issue or a non-issue entirely.  Maybe Azzi Fudd will be the WNBA Rookie of the Year and prove that the reason she was taken No. 1 overall has nothing to do with who she's dating.  That's the only way to silence any remaining questions.  Because they're clearly not going to answer any.  Which is their prerogative.  But it's also what's keeping this in the news cycle when everybody would prefer to just move on.