Azzi Fudd Weighs In on Paige Bueckers’ Personal Appearance Change
One of the biggest storylines during the last WNBA offseason was the work that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark put in the weight room to prepare for her 2025 season.
Clark was pushed around a lot and otherwise subject to much physical play during her rookie campaign with Indiana. While this didn't keep her from breaking records and winning the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, her having to handle this constant physicality didn't seem sustainable with her current frame.
Therefore, she focused on adding muscle in the weight room in the offseason, which resulted in a clear change in her physical appearance, especially regarding her arms, which fans were quick to take note of.
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers found herself in a similar situation as a rookie.
Bueckers had a first great season of professional basketball, but was subject to similar physical play as Clark. And like the Fever star, Bueckers took this as proof she needed to prioritize the weight room.
Bueckers made this clear when speaking with media at Unrivaled earlier this week, saying, "For me, getting in the weight room this offseason and having a healthy offseason where I could grind and get better... I think it definitely helps with this Unrivaled league and just how physical it is," per an Instagram post from @espnw.
And Bueckers' focus on the weight room has been made apparent, as photos of her larger, more muscular arms are circulating on social media.
Azzi Fudd addresses Paige Bueckers' change in personal appearance
UConn Huskies star Azzi Fudd (who is in a relationship with Bueckers) spoke with Husky Bytes after her team's 88-43 win over St. John's on January 7, and was asked, "Have you noticed Paige has been in the weight room? Her arms, man, she's jacked!"
"She definitely has been hitting the weight room," Fudd responded with a laugh, per an X post from @sacbabi.
The person Fudd was speaking to noted how Paige has been looking like a different person of late, and Fudd said, "She does! It has been really amazing to see her take that seriously. She always has, but to see an actual difference, it has been great. And you can see the difference on the court, too."
"have you noticed Paige has been in the weight room?” azzi saying that she definitely is hitting the weight room and we can see the difference on the court 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/zujDuJBO90
— barbra version (@sacbabi) January 8, 2026
Fudd will be joining Bueckers in the WNBA later this year (so long as a CBA is ratified and there's actually a season), which means she should prepare for similar physical treatment.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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