"Probably defense": Paige Bueckers jokingly advises girlfriend Azzi Fudd to improve her guarding ability

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers jokingly advised her girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, on one aspect of her game. Bueckers and Fudd were teammates on the Connecticut Huskies from 2021 to 2025. Together, the pair led UConn to the NCAA national title last season.

The former teammates joined Instagram’s sixth episode of Close Friends Only, which premiered on Wednesday. On the show, Fudd asked Bueckers for tips on what she should add to her game. The Dallas Wings star jokingly replied, saying her girlfriend could improve her defense.

“Have you got any tips for me? What should I add?” Fudd asked.

“Probably defense,” replied Bueckers.

Fudd, who prides herself on being a good defender, seemed to take offense and said:

“My defense is not bad.”

Bueckers explained that she was only joking, after which, Fudd agreed that her defense could indeed get better.

“I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding,” Bueckers said.

“My defense could get better,” said Fudd.

“Everybody's defense could get better, let's be real,” Bueckers replied.

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd were both expected to be a part of the 2025 WNBA draft. While her girlfriend was picked No. 1, Fudd chose to pull out of the draft in favor of another year in college.

She made 34 appearances for the Huskies last season, averaging 13.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Meanwhile, Bueckers has been on fire in the WNBA, averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists for the Dallas Wings.

Azzi Fudd showed love for Paige Bueckers at Dallas Wings Game

Since going public with their relationship a few weeks ago, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have not missed any opportunity to show each other off. During the Wings-Liberty game on July 28, Fudd was spotted in the crowd wearing a special t-shirt honoring her girlfriend. The text on her t-shirt read:

"I 💙 PB."

The heart featured Bueckers' number in the middle, making it clear that Fudd's t-shirt was expressing love to the Dallas Wings star.

With her girlfriend in attendance, the No. 1 pick recorded 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals as Dallas defeated the New York Liberty 92-82. Bueckers and Co. will return to the court on Friday to face the LA Sparks.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan