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The WNBA’s Wings can’t shield Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd from relationship questions forever
The biggest storyline coming out of Monday night’s WNBA Draft wasn’t just that the Dallas Wings landed another No. 1 overall pick in Azzi Fudd. It was that Fudd, a now-former star at Connecticut, is dating the Wings’ superstar franchise player, Paige Bueckers, who also played at Connecticut.
“Pazzi” (as fans affectionately call the couple) has reunited.
And because it’s getting so much attention, it also opened the door for a lot of people — many of whom don’t really follow women’s basketball — to jump in with takes that don’t hold up.
The biggest one is that Dallas took Fudd No. 1 just because of her relationship with Bueckers.
That’s just not true.
Fudd was going to be a top pick no matter who had the No. 1 selection. You don’t put together a college career like she did — one of the most efficient scorers in UConn history, nearly 50/45/95 shooting splits, Final Four Most Outstanding Player — and suddenly become a fraud because of who you’re dating.
She also fits perfectly into the Wings’ roster based on their position needs.
Dallas already has Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers running the offense, so what they really need around them is space. Fudd gives them exactly that. She’s one of the best off-ball shooters to come into the league in a long time.
After adding Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in free agency, they didn’t need a big.
And sure, the chemistry with Bueckers is a bonus.
Now, all that said, we still need to talk about what happened at Fudd’s introductory press conference on Thursday. Because that’s when things got awkward.
A reporter asked Fudd a pretty reasonable question.
“Paige announced last year on TikTok that y’all were a couple,” the reporter said. “And I’m wondering if that’s still the case, and if so, if y’all have talked to other couples in the league about how they negotiate that dynamic as pro teammates?”
Before Fudd could answer, Wings PR stepped in.
“I understand why you have to ask that question, but we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives,” the rep said.
Look, I understand the instinct there. Teams want to protect their players, and generally speaking, an athlete’s dating life isn’t something that needs to be dissected in a press conference.
But when your significant other is also your franchise player and starting backcourt partner, it’s a story.
And the question wasn’t intrusive or inappropriate, either. The reporter wasn’t fishing for gossip. He was asking about how two players might navigate being both teammates and partners at the highest level.
And by shutting it down immediately, the Wings actually made it a bigger deal than it needed to be.
If Fudd answers that question herself, gives a quick, polished response and pivots back to basketball, it probably doesn’t go anywhere. Address it once, and we can all move on.
Instead, the PR intervention became the story. And it’s all over our news feeds.
Realistically, Fudd could have handled that in about 10 seconds.
We’re both professionals. I’m really excited to share the court with Paige again. We won a national championship together in 2025. Let’s run it back here in Dallas.
Easy.
And that’s where the Wings might need to adjust their approach, because this isn’t something they’re going to be able to shield their players from forever.
This relationship is public. We all already know about it. Fudd and Bueckers attended Monday’s draft arm-in-arm, for goodness’ sake.
Of course, you don’t have to make it the focal point of every media session, but trying to completely shut it down isn’t realistic, either. Especially as the league continues to grow.
With the new CBA bringing in bigger salaries and more visibility, these players are stepping into a much larger spotlight. And with that spotlight comes more coverage, more interest, and yes, occasionally questions that might sometimes be a little uncomfortable.
That’s part of the deal.
The Wings don’t need to lean into this romantic relationship, and they don’t need to make it a sideshow. But letting their players handle those moments naturally would probably go a lot further than trying to shut them down entirely.
Because right now, that approach is making it look like a scandal when it’s not.
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Ex-CENTCOM commander warns against ‘risky’ US ground operation to seize Iran’s enriched uranium
Ret. U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus said assassinating more of Iran’s leadership will not end ongoing issues while warning against a U.S. ground operation to seize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
“This would be a very, very tall order, it would be exceedingly risky. And the casualties could potentially be quite substantial,” he said Monday on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
“Assassinating a few more leaders is not going to bring this issue to a close,” he added.
Petraeus’ comments come as the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire Wednesday, with President Donald Trump asserting an extension is “very unlikely.”
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The former CENTCOM commander, who led troops into battle during the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, said the deployment of U.S. ground troops to Iran would be very risky.
“We’re not really sure where these canisters are, of this thousand pounds of 60 percent enriched uranium,” he said. “They’re going to have to excavate very, very substantially. And by the way, that’s what makes the idea of a forced ground operation very, very challenging.”
Petraeus noted that while Iran has felt the damage of the United States’ military campaign, the regime is not hopeless.
“They’ve seen lots and lots of damage that we can inflict,” he said.
“They know what we can do… They’re also trying to figure out how much they can give on these other issues that traditionally have been very, very difficult to negotiate.”
IRAN REVERSES COURSE ON OPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS HARDLINERS TAKE FRONT SEAT IN TEHRAN
Trump said he will enforce the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports until a deal is reached. However, Petraeus said the economic pressure has not made Iran completely hopeless.
“They’re not at the point of desperation,” he argued.
The former CIA director argued that both the U.S. and Iran want the war to end, citing economic challenges that both nations have experienced amid the 52-day conflict.
“I don’t think that either side really wants to return to full-on combat,” Petraeus said. “There has been damage to infrastructure in the Gulf states. And we certainly don’t want to see more of that.”
Vice President JD Vance and senior White House officials are set to depart for Pakistan on Tuesday for a new round of peace talks, though recent reports from Iranian state media cast doubt on such meetings.
“I think both sides, frankly, really do want an agreement,” Petraeus said. “Obviously, there are challenges domestically for us if this continues. Obviously, there are huge challenges for them [Iran] economically and financially if it continues.”
The former CENTCOM commander said the two main points of discussion in the talks will be Iran’s uranium enrichment and the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ll see if there is trade space,” he said.
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Nancy Sinatra slams Trump’s use of father’s song ‘My Way’ as ‘sacrilege’
Singer Nancy Sinatra called President Donald Trump’s reference to her father Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” a “sacrilege.”
On Saturday, Trump posted a video to Truth Social of Frank Sinatra singing his classic song in light of his renewed threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure for the country allegedly violating a ceasefire agreement.
The song begins with the opening lines, “And now/the end is near/And so I face/the final curtain” which resemble Trump’s past threats to destroy the nation.
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“Omg, @NancySinatra will not be happy about this. Trump goes against everything that Frank stood for. He was a big champion for equality and supported the Civil Rights movement,” one person commented on X.
The 85-year-old “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” singer later responded to this comment, adding, “This is a sacrilege.”
She reposted users’ comments criticizing Trump’s post and use of the song, insisting Frank Sinatra would not agree with Trump’s politics.
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“Trump may love Sinatra, but Sinatra did not love Trump,” one person wrote.
“This is just sickening. Frank Sinatra would never have allowed that monster in the White House to use his music or put his lyrics in his mouth. Sinatra was a man of honor, a man who never had to lie about who he truly was because he WAS the greatest. trump is a loser,” another wrote.
Sinatra also responded to a fan asking if she could do anything to stop Trump from using the song.
“Unfortunately no. The only people who can do something are the publishers,” she responded.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump previously danced with first lady Melania Trump to the song “My Way” at the Liberty Ball after his first inauguration in 2017. At the time, Sinatra joked about the news writing, “Just remember the first line of the song.”
She later deleted the post and denied that she was “angry” that Trump used the song.
“What a rotten spin to put on a harmless joke,” Sinatra tweeted.
She also wrote, “I’m not sure why this became such a big deal. It was really just a joke.”
When asked whether she was upset over her father’s song being used by Trump, Sinatra wrote at the time, “Actually I’m wishing him the best. A good president helps the entire world. I don’t believe anyone tries to be a bad president.”
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Mom, pregnant teen and 12-year-old found bound and murdered as police hunt multiple suspects
An Alabama woman, her pregnant teenage daughter and her 12-year-old son were found brutally murdered in their home, authorities said.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said deputies responded to a home in Wilmer just after 2:30 a.m., where they discovered the three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs.
The victims were identified as 46-year-old Lisa Gail Fields, who was stabbed; 17-year-old Keziah Arionna Luker, who was shot; and 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle Jr., who had his throat cut and was nearly decapitated.
“It was a brutal scene,” Burch said. “If you’ve got a beef with an adult… there’s nothing worth killing over, but to murder two children brutally… I hope and feel comfortable we’ll have this animal or animals off the streets soon.”
8 CHILDREN DEAD IN MASS SHOOTING THAT BEGAN AS DOMESTIC DISPUTE, POLICE SAY
An 18-month-old child was found unharmed in the home.
“At this point, we don’t suspect any kind of domestic or family-type situation,” Burch told reporters.
Burch noted that the home was “left in disarray,” suggesting the perpetrators may have been searching for something. Investigators believe more than one person was involved in the killings because the victims had been subdued.
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Luker was seven or eight months pregnant, the sheriff added.
“The mother was stabbed, the 17-year-old was shot, and the 12-year-old’s throat was cut as was the mom,” Burch said. “It tells me that they had a plan coming in to bring zip ties or flex cuffs with them so they had a plan.”
The father-to-be, who works offshore, triggered the discovery after he grew concerned when he could not reach Luker after he saw her cell phone activated on Life 360, the sheriff said. Another family member went to check on her and found all three victims in separate rooms with their hands bound behind them.
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether the death of Luker’s unborn child warrants an additional murder charge once a suspect is arrested.
Burch said investigators currently have “positive leads” in the case.
Luker’s father told WALA-TV that his daughter had just received her GED.
“It’s a senseless murder,” he said. “She was a bubble of sunshine. A person that makes you smile; a person that’ll make you laugh whenever you’re down. She had empathy for everybody. She loved her brothers; she loved her mom; she loved all of us.”
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