Jason Whitlock reacts to Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd's viral Orange Carpet interaction

Modified Apr 16, 2025 08:53 GMT

NCAA Womens Basketball: Louisville at Connecticut - Source: Imagn — Jason Whitlock drops bold take on Paige Bueckers dating Azzi Fudd rumors - Source: Imagn

Paige Bueckers had a once-in-a-lifetime moment on Monday night when she was selected with the first overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings. The UConn Huskies standout stole the limelight on the orange carpet, where she posed for pictures with teammate Azzi Fudd.

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have formed a close bond within the UConn program, going deep into the NCAA Tournament that culminated in a championship in April.

After looking back at the WNBA draft's festivities, Whitlock took to X on Monday morning to express his opinion on Bueckers and Fudd. According to him, Paige Buecker's talent on the floor isn't the only reason why the WNBA was looking forward to her joining them.

"Now I understand why WNBA players are rolling out the red carpet for Paige," he tweeted along with a picture of her and Fudd.

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How has Paige Bueckers already impacted the WNBA?

Paige Bueckers made a big announcement before being selected with the first pick, signing a three-year deal with Unrivaled before the draft.

Bueckers has been one of the more popular players in the college basketball world ever since she stepped foot onto the UConn campus as a freshman back in 2020. Five years later, she is ready to take the next step in her career.

Bueckers will hope to translate her game to the professional level seamlessly and become one of the future faces of the league. Before Caitlin Clark broke onto the scene with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Bueckers was the face of the next generation of talent in women's basketball. Now that she is finally in the WNBA, fans can't wait to see what she will accomplish with the Wings.

About the author

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

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Edited by Zachary Howell