Don’t become the story!
A tale old as time that rings into any journalist’s consciousness when they’re stepping up into the plate to find stories to be written.
What if you became the story where the story you want to tell is a story?
Moreover, a story you want to tell is what people want to know more about that pushes the boundaries of professionalism becoming gossip. Namely, if the choice of words escalated the matter into troubling territory.
In the world of sports, like yours truly have been involved on the media side since 2015, this is the type of battle I’ve seen firsthand, been a part of firsthand and even read or heard from afar.
More often than not, we’re put into a double-edge sword if the question we asked will be answered in a way we feel satisfied. Then there are cases where a blurred line of adequacy impacts an athlete, where the organization has to intervene in any controversy from diminishing the focal point of other stories that’re either just as or more important.
This happened during Thursday’s Dallas Wings introductory press conference for Azzi Fudd, the team’s top pick of this year’s WNBA Draft which took place this past Monday.
Depending on which stand you’re in regarding what constitutes a story or not, all was fine in the opening minutes. Then Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington asked Fudd about whether or not she’s still in a publicized relationship with Paige Bueckers, last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year and one of the most popular figures in basketball today.
“Paige announced last year on TikTok that y’all were a couple. I’m wondering if that’s still the case and if so, have y’all talk to any other couples in the league about how they negotiate that dynamic as pro teammates,” Sherrington asked Fudd.
After a brief pause, the Wings moderator stepped in and not only kept Fudd from responding but moved onto the next question.
“I understand why you have to ask that question, but we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting about our players’ personal lives.”
As soon as that question was asked and shot down, both Sherrington and the Wings became the story.
I wasn’t surprised by the slightest because I saw it coming a mile away.
Far away in Seattle, me and a few of my sports production coworkers were watching Monday’s selection show during dinner. A few of us were wondering where folks like Fudd, Olivia Miles, Lauren Betts and Flau’jae Johnson would end up and who the Seattle Storm would get throughout the night.
All eyes (and ears to hear the audio from a colleague’s phone, whose livestream was 10 seconds ahead over the catering monitors) were on the inevitable first pick the Wings had and deep down knew Fudd would end up being drafted by them.
Once it happened, we knew right away what story would dominate the headlines and the league at large:
‘How do we make this season about Azzi and Paige?’
‘This teammate power couple is going to go so well!’
Those thoughts people had around me, including myself, sarcasm or otherwise, aren’t wrong. The writing on the wall is there and while it’s not my business to know about their relationship, there are others that will make it their business to tell a story.
The story is obvious, but when does it fall into awkward territory that may end up being more of both gossip and sexist situations than the nuances of the game of basketball or any sport for that matter?
Here’s my mindset of the ordeal.
People have said how the Wings PR handled it wasn’t great because the organization should’ve let Fudd decline it. The athlete should speak on their personal behalf rather than have others speak for you as an act of independence.
Speak now, deal with the potential ramifications later. Fudd is a grown adult.
However, this is a situation where I don’t blame the organization for stepping in because this is Fudd’s moment, not Bueckers. Not their publicized relationship either.
Above all else, you want to keep the brand as professional as possible without any distractions tarnishing it. However, it backfired for the Wings because they were framed for pushing an agenda and it overshadowed Fudd’s introductory press conference.
More questions arise from other people, press or otherwise:
‘If you don’t want a certain agenda being asked by the press, then why draft Azzi to become Paige’s teammate if you don’t want it to be the story in the first place?’
‘We all know why you drafted Azzi! Stop hiding the obvious!’
Granted, the PR person let Sherrington finish the question before being polite about the matter in one of those, ‘I get it, but let’s not make intimacy the story’ deals. There weren’t any interruptions when he asked the quote-on-quote “elephant in the room.”
In other instances, reporters would be shot down right away by the athlete in question or even admonished by the press conference conductor. I’ve learned that the hard way back in 2020 over “motorsports silly season” and I haven’t toyed into that territory ever since.
To me, from the outside, it’s about the game of basketball and how adding Fudd into the mix will help them in the 2026 season. More so when fans expect the team to improve in a season we’re glad is even happening in the first place.
The Wings’ mindset is for folks in the media to focus on anything but the obvious story. The organization would be viewed as catering to what we want to tell, not what you want to tell.
This practice was criticized by Sherrington in his column to respond on the matter because the team’s media department were creating an “ugly narrative” by hiding the obvious.
“If anyone’s at fault here, it’s the Wings, who invited the obvious question by drafting Fudd when they had other options,” said Sherrington. “Then acted as if they were covering for something that didn’t need hiding. Bueckers and Fudd didn’t deserve this. No matter what their status from here on out, I wish them better luck.”
Whether we like it or not, there’s truth to the matter. Like it or not, you can’t hide something people already know that’s out in public, especially when Bueckers publicly said last summer she was dating Fudd.
At the same token, the purpose of public relations is to maintain an image and the Wings felt Sherrington was pushing an agenda they didn’t want out. There have been WNBA organizations where teammates dated each other such as the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky, something Sherrington mentioned to prove a point that the league is no stranger in witnessing players dating each other, including their teammates.
However, it was a situation where the Wings organization felt that discussing other people’s personal lives, such as relationships, is taboo for the media. Certain things shouldn’t be discussed in a public matter where people will eat it up and make it the center of attention. That’s the Wings’ stance and they’ll abide by it.
We’re also in a period where women’s basketball is growing and people want to gatekeep such growth. There are also folks in the media who’ve received a cake and want to eat as much as possible, looking for clicks that’ll drive a story home. Occasionally, those folks don’t always want to revolve around an organization’s agenda about the game of basketball.
Even though the question Sherrington asked tried focusing on the team dynamics to an extent, it’s perceived as both distraction and a salivation for views.
It can be more distracting if the relationship goes haywire and people in-and-out of the media realm know that. Athletes want to avoid it and it’ll be damming if they fall into a distraction, thanks to the press.
We’ve seen it in other sports like football and hockey where it can ruin an athlete, a coach or a team’s reputation time and time again.
People write about athletes’ relationships all the time, regardless if you view the practice questionable because certain tea shouldn’t be spilled. But there are other athletes who try being private about their love life, such as motorsport drivers. Even then, they’re not immune of privacy evasion if there’s a story to be told for clicks.
In July 2011, NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch responded to a question by Bob Pockrass, who Busch had beef with over the years, regarding his then-new partner, Patricia Driscoll. The question stirred Busch because people speculated about him no longer being together with his first wife, Eva Braun.
While Busch’s response to Pockrass is motorsports centric, it rings true regarding Thursday’s needless drama in the world of women’s sports.
“Performance is always the best antidote for putting all of that aside,” said Busch. “I think the way we’ve handled the situation of the sport, we’re really good at respecting one another and I’m happy that I’m an athlete in a sport that really cares about writing about our sport versus about our personal lives.
“The other sports get into the professional’s lives in a personal way. I’m glad I’m in the NASCAR world to work with you guys and respect that as well. It’s tough.
“We’re an entity, but I’m also a person.”
Under these circumstances, Pockrass’ question about Busch’s relationship status, and the response behind it became the story, not about Busch building momentum after winning at Sonoma the week before.
Busch’s last line is telling and adaptable to any situation involving an athlete, including basketball.
Athletes are people too and want to focus on the profession they’re competing in.
We forget that part in this harsh profession because we’re invested in telling stories. But there are times folks tend to push that line and people pay the price for them that could impact others in the long haul.
We must be careful with those kinds of questions and it’s something we need to be reminded of. What might be okay for a male athlete regarding relationships, it doesn’t mean it’d be okay when asking this to a female athlete unless they’re comfortable to respond or in the case with Thursday’s press conference, the team itself.
There’ve been times in the WNBA where the press asked about certain physiques, body expressions, and the cadence of your question can create backlash amongst the league, players, teams, press, and fans alike.
In fact, it’s the second time in three years where a male reporter asked the top pick of the WNBA Draft a question that can be perceived as gossip junket.
Two years ago, when the Indiana Fever hosted its introductory press conference after selecting Caitlin Clark, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star was barred from covering the Fever for over a year after making inappropriate remarks, which he would later apologize.
“I like that you’re here…start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine,” Doyel told Clark after forming his hands into the heart signature she does to acknowledge her family.
Doyel’s cadence was bad because it was perceived as seeing Clark as an object in a sexual matter. Times have changed and if you’re caught acting that way, the journalist becomes the story, not Clark’s remarks about being a part of the Fever organization.
This past NFL season, Jacksonville Free Press’ Lynn Jones-Turpin received tremendous backlash for consoling Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen after the team lost to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Game 27-24.
Jones-Turpin tried cheering Coen up as a way to not let the bad vibes get to him. This was a huge no-no among press circles because it was viewed as “fangirling” and “acting unprofessional” across the board.
Those who know Jones-Turpin, she’s beloved in the city. Those who only know her for the viral press conference are viewed as a disgrace in the sports media industry.
This is another example where media ethics is perceived as a lost art form in the world of journalism because her actions were a class case of what not to do as a journalist.
If it was a man acting the same way, will he receive the same backlash? I’d sure hope so.
Otherwise, I call sexism and hypocrisy because in this field, violating ethics can be seen as a cardinal sin unless you’re working for a sports team where it’s a whole different can of worms beyond this topic.
Even though there are people out there that bend the rules, show bias and even act like a fan when that shouldn’t be the case. It’s a case where if you want to console someone, don’t get yourself caught in the moment that’ll result in someone ratting you out or simply don’t do it, period.
No matter your stance, valid or otherwise, Jones-Turpin became the story, not the Jags losing in heartbreaking fashion.
All instances are a reminder that we live in an era where the landscape of sports journalism isn’t great because anything could turn the athlete or team from being the story into the journalist who asked a question that’s inappropriate becoming the story.
When you become the story based on a question you asked and how it was asked, it can cause an accordion effect. Folks will have a little chat with you that could spell trouble, such as entities not wanting to work with you. We’ve all been there before and sometimes, you’d have to regain the trust and respect with everyone like a walk-on rookie.
Therefore, the amount of people granted an opportunity to cover a sport gets plateaued. Anything that’ll make the brand look bad, regardless if you’re in the right or wrong, action is required to maintain a reputation. Even if journalists bounce back, the damage might’ve been done and it’s hard to overcome it in a period where anything you post or say is out there forever.
There’s a reason why folks on social media, who are outside the media circles and fed information by those folks on the inside, complain about folks writing about the same 2-3 stories. There are dozens out there that either go unnoticed or untold because it doesn’t draw numbers. Relationship drama folks want to find or foolishly create, draw numbers over a profile story that focuses on the human side of an athlete. It’s an unfortunate reality we live in because that draws money (if any) and clout of any kind.
When it comes to Fudd and Bueckers, it is a story that also crosses the line of potential personal drama. Something the Wings are aware of and more so now after the backlash.
If I was writing about basketball (I’m just a photographer in the sport despite occasionally writing about Idaho WBB and MBB from 2015-16 for The Argonaut), I could hop aboard the relationship train to boost numbers for a small outlet, but what am I actually contributing to the sport when everyone else writes about the same thing? Not a whole lot.
Some of us can tell stories in a different way that is relevant to the game.
For me, I’m interested in an athlete’s performance, the circumstances of the competition and team morale if necessary.
I get where Sherrington is coming from because he tried adding an angle that focuses on the game. The question being declined was also valid because how he worded wasn’t in the team’s best interest and perhaps they know something we’ll never know for the time being.
Now it’s the time I bring word choice into the equation because FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth’s Sam Gannon, a fellow UConn alumni, asked Fudd about reuniting with Bueckers on the court.
“Obviously, you get to reunite with Paige, but Monday night at the draft, you talked about how for so much of the time you were at UConn, you guys were both injured a lot,” Gannon asked Fudd in a one-on-one interview Thursday.
“Knowing that the ceiling is so high for you guys. Not only with her, but your other teammates too. That’s gotta motivate you to a whole another level because you’re coming to an organization that’s hungry to win.”
Fudd responded that she barely had any time on the court with Bueckers. When they did, there was a spark on the court that resulted in victories. They’ve proven at UConn the two can lift up a team and now it’s time to see it translate in the WNBA. She’s also thrilled to play with the rest of the roster and getting an opportunity to play around her Wing teammates.
The same can be applied when Hartford Courant’s Dom Amore asked Fudd a similar question three days prior during the post-draft press conference. Amore’s question revolved on her having the opportunity of playing together with Bueckers and the unique chemistry they’ve built on the court.
Fudd had to ask Amore what the final part was because her thought process went blank, but it was similar to her response to Gannon’s question three days later. In her eyes, there’s a lot left on the table and is thrilled to be playing with the Wings.
Word choice goes a long way and the way both Gannon and Amore utilized the game of basketball and research during Fudd’s time at UConn with Bueckers shifted the narrative about individuality and the game itself.
Fudd’s confidence was visible because she’ll have a strong support system behind her that’s about the game of basketball instead of being just about Bueckers and what they do outside the court. There was a sense of comfort.
Sherrington’s question on the other hand, how he worded the question caused a red flag for the organization and others whether in the media room or online. Fudd, along with Wings General Manager Curt Miller and head coach Jose Fernandez’s expressions told a story because they looked annoyed or waiting for PR to step in, knowing the inevitable question was going to be asked only for it to be declined.
Thus, it became an uncomfortable situation where immediate action was required.
From a devil’s advocate perspective, there are folks who wouldn’t dare ask Sherrington’s question for a litany of reasons.
Someone beat you to the punch by the time it’s your turn, major outlets take precedence, reading the room in the media center, feeling uncomfortable to push a certain agenda without being chastised, and not rocking the acquaintanceship boat that’ll jeopardize your stance with the organization.
Again, that’s just the nature of the beast in the media and that’s what we signed up for.
Sherrington asked the obvious question others didn’t really want to ask where he’s revered for doing his job.
Let me flip the script once again and ask this:
What if a woman asked that question instead in that very moment in front of everyone?
Will she be given the same generous declination by the Wings?
If she did receive the same response as Sherrington did, how many people would ridicule her for asking the question because she’s a woman?
Does it become a lose-lose situation? You be the judge.
My stance is if a woman indeed asked that question, I pray she doesn’t get lambasted but sexism is still a thing in society. Therefore, I sadly see the scenario happening and it’s a sad reality we shouldn’t be living in because we still have a long way to go regarding equal treatment.
Meanwhile, there’s also a reason why the Wings had to act with full intentions of saving face, but it backfired. People saw through them and were getting lit up in the comments over a necessary action they must’ve been prepared for. Regardless of how they want to spin the narrative that’ll justify their agenda.
Additionally, Fudd could’ve just said “no comment” or “next question,” and this entire spiel would’ve been non-existent for the most part. There’d be no thesis to write and we’d be focusing on other unique stories that’ll have important substance like Fudd focusing on her game craft transitioning into the pros rather than ‘Oh, I’m teammates with my girlfriend!’
I understand the narrative of rooting for a power couple which is why at the end of the day, whatever the reason it may be and how annoying it already is, Fudd and Bueckers’ relationship is a story.
Should it be the end-all-be-all story? No, but other people’s actions resulted in them becoming the story within a story.
There’s no hiding it nor denying this. Yes, it feels like an evasion of their personal privacy no matter how publicized it’s out there. In many ways, it can be perceived as another attempt of exploitation towards women being an object rather than recognizing their athleticism.
Do male athletes get asked about their relationship with another man, woman or otherwise?
Compared to women being asked the same thing, especially dating another woman, not in the levels where it escalates drama between a writer, the couple in subject, and the organization.
When it comes down to it, I could honestly care less about their relationship.
Do I want their relationship to succeed? That’s personally not my business, I don’t know them, but I want them to be happy in whatever they do.
At the end of the day, I care more about how the Wings are going to do with Fudd in the equation and Bueckers staying healthy being important to the team’s success.
Above all else, this season marks Fernandez’s first year as the Wings head coach after spending a quarter century as South Florida’s WBB head coach. Thus, how the entire team is going to gel with yet another head coach.
Other stories do exist, but many journalists will fall into the pit of telling a big angle because it draws engagement and its public knowledge. Many organizations also fall into the pit of playing damage control that could be seen as dictating someone else without the individual in subject lending a voice to the matter.
Regardless of everyone’s stance, both Sherrington and the Wings ended up being the story of Thursday’s press conference, not Azzi Fudd’s optimistic vibes of wanting to be a huge contributor to her team.
Athletes are people too. Not exclusively an entity or an object for someone’s gain or detriment.
The double-edge sword turned an obvious story into somebody else becoming the story.
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