Clearly the biggest stars of the WNBA’s recent All-Star Weekend were the StudBudz, two players Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams from the Minnesota Lynx, who sported pink hair and lots of positive energy during a 72-hour livestream on Twitch. Williams even played in the All-Star Game on the winning Team Collier. Their omnipresence and the amount of unabashed queer references led some people to dub the annual event the gayest All-Star Weekend in WNBA history. It was joyful.
As I infuse my history covering the W into these opinion pieces, I can remember when the WNBA was deep in the closet. I remember standing in the press room at an All-Star Game, I believe it was 2000, holding a tip sheet that listed, “players who are married or engaged.” I can assure you, there were no same-sex couples.
In 2002, Sue Wicks of the New York Liberty became the first WNBA player to publicly come out. Despite the minimal pushback, things remained relatively closeted until several years later when players slowly started to share their lives. It took until 2014 for Pride celebrations to become a league staple. Nowadays, each new coupling, engagement, wedding and simple self-identification is embraced.
Back to 2025 All-Star Weekend: WAG Talk (short for wives and girlfriends of athletes) was on the scene, interviewing partners, wives, and a few players. Most of those featured were league veterans or individuals who have been publicly out for some time. In one now-viral WAG Talk segment, this year’s top draft pick, Paige Bueckers, answered a question about her “D-I girlfriend.” The reveal wasn’t exactly a surprise — she and her former UConn teammate, Azzi Fudd, have been teasing their relationship for a while — but there was still a sense of gravity in the public acknowledgment.
Later that evening, Hiedeman turned to Bueckers and Fudd at a party and said, “I’m with the power couple.” They definitely are, but they’re also only 23 and 22, and one of them is still in college. It’s beautiful that players can be themselves and that authenticity is celebrated and nurtured in the WNBA and beyond. But I also hope journalists and fans won’t think Bueckers and Fudd owe them an inside look into their relationship.
Years ago, a high profile rookie said to me, “I’ve never been asked questions about my personal life before.” All I’m saying is let Bueckers and Fudd be early 20-somethings. Don’t let the enthusiasm for this couple dim because they’re not giving details. Let them be a power couple in their impact on the game but also let them be still until they’re ready to get loud.