Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers are close, and Fudd's latest social media video reveals the pair are even closer than most think.
The video in question was a big hit because it also stars Olympic gymnast Suni Lee and content creator Anna Frey, but sharp-eyed fans noticed a necklace around Fudd's neck that appears to be a direct link to Bueckers: a number 5 that turns into a heart.
@togethxr I love when the gworls link up🔥 @Azzi Fudd @suni (via @Anna Frey) #womenssports #wbb #womensgymnastics #sportstok #womeninsports #besties ♬ original sound - Togethxr
Bueckers wore number 5 for UConn and will continue to do so with the Dallas Wings. She and Fudd have been open over the years about their close friendship, and many have speculated the young women have been in a romantic relationship for some time.
More: Azzi Fudd has an emotional response after Paige Bueckers includes her in official UConn goodbye
The affection between the pair goes back at least as far as to when UConn recruited Fudd. Bueckers played a major role in the transaction.
As Fudd told GQ, the two first met when they were trying out for the USA Basketball U16 team. "I was like, Okay, I don't have anything to worry about. This little white girl? I'll make the team over her," Fudd told the outlet. Though they both made the seam, Fudd soon learned how wrong that assumption was. "She was a lot better than I thought she was," she added.
When UConn came knocking, Bueckers was part of the plan. "This is so on brand for Paige, but she made a little highlight video of herself from her high school games, passing to her teammates and giving them wide-open shots," Fudd explained. "She presented it to my family and was like, 'You see all these open shots I'm giving to my teammates? That's going to be Azzi [if] she comes to UConn and plays with me.'"