Azzi Fudd Reveals What Advice Girlfriend Paige Bueckers Gave Her Before the WNBA Draft (Exclusive)

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Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers on April 16, 2025 in New York City.
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NEED TO KNOW​

• Azzi Fudd tells PEOPLE the advice she got from her girlfriend Paige Bueckers ahead of the 2026 WNBA Draft
• Fudd says she was advised to "soak this whole weekend in" because it "only happens once"
• The No. 1 overall pick says she'll "be confident" and "stay true" to herself in the WNBA

Azzi Fudd says her girlfriend Paige Bueckers shared some valuable advice ahead of the WNBA Draft.

Fudd, 23, who was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday, April 13, tells PEOPLE her girlfriend Bueckers, 24, the first overall pick for the Wings one year before Fudd, encouraged her to "enjoy the moment" before the big day.

"I feel like the advice has mostly been a combination of, one, soak this whole weekend in. You know, it only happens once, it's your moment, so really take it all in," Fudd shares.

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Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers on April 13, 2026
Credit: Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty

The former UConn star, who met Bueckers when they both played for the Huskies, continues, "Try to take notes, try to learn, try to just enjoy the moment, and then going forward, you know, be confident, stay true to yourself, do what got you drafted, and also enjoy that moment as well."

After being drafted to the same team as her girlfriend, Fudd said she's "excited to play again with Paige" while speaking to ESPN on the broadcast. “She’s an incredible person,” Fudd continued of her girlfriend. “An incredible player, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

Fudd and Bueckers, who won the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball championship together at UConn, were rumored to be dating for several months. Bueckers then confirmed their relationship in an interview with WAG Talk in July 2025.

Two months later, Fudd and Bueckers spoke about their instant connection on Instagram's Close Friends Only podcast. “Almost kind of immediately,” Fudd replied when asked when she knew she and Bueckers would be "close."

“I feel like we really clicked when we met," said Fudd, telling Bueckers, “I don’t remember talking to you at all off the court, but I remember the plane ride home to Minnesota talking to you and really liking you and then that’s when I thought, like, our personality off the court, our personalities clicked.”

Read the original article on People

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