Dallas Wings Season Look-Ahead: A New Coach, a UConn Reunion, and a Real Playoff Push

One of their most difficult struggles last season was the 10-game losing streak they endured late in the campaign. A large part of those poor results stemmed from their defensive issues, as they allowed 88.0 points per game, which placed them 12th out of 13 teams in the league. And even with individual brilliance from players like Paige Bueckers, they were still underwhelming offensively, finishing just 9th overall.

Offseason Moves: Who’s In, Who’s Out

The Dallas Wings carried out a major revamp of their team this offseason. They started with the hiring of new head coach Jose Fernandez. And then they did a thorough revamp of their roster.

In total, more than 10 players from the 2025 roster either departed, got traded away, or were waived ahead of the 2026 season. And in response, they brought in seven new players through a combination of free agency, a major trade, and the draft.

Below is an outline of how their new-look roster has taken shape.

Players Who Departed The Team

• NaLyssa Smith: Traded mid-season to the Las Vegas Aces.
• Kalani Brown: Traded to the Phoenix Mercury.
• Luisa Geiselsöder: Selected in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft by the Portland Fire.
• Diamond Miller: Traded in exchange for Rayah Marshall to the Connecticut Sun.

The Dallas WIngs have also waived players like Shyanne Sellers, Lindsay Allen, Grace Berger, and Amy Okonkwo, among others.

Players Brought in

• Alanna Smith: Free agency from the Minnesota Lynx.
• Jessica Shepard: Free agency from the Minnesota Lynx.
• Alysha Clark: Free agency from the Washington Mystics.
• Odyssey Sims: Free agency from the Indiana Fever.
• Azzi Fudd: No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.
• Zee Spearman: No. 31 overall pick. Was eventually waived.

Players Who Were Re-signed

• Arike Ogunbowale: Re-signed to a multi-year.
• Awak Kuier: Signed back to the team after playing overseas.

Apart from these additions, the Dallas Wings also have four returning players. There is Paige Bueckers, 2025 No 1 draft pick, who is still under her original unprotected rookie scale contract. There is also Maddy Siegrist, Aziaha James, and JJ Quinerly, who are also still under their rookie scales contract.

Players to Watch

Paige Bueckers remains the foundation of this Dallas Wings team after her impressive Rookie of the Year campaign. Heading into her second season, the expectation is that she will take on an even bigger role as the primary orchestrator of the offense, combining playmaking with precise scoring.

The good thing now is that she has Azzi Fudd beside her, which brings that UConn reunion factor. And that’s one thing that many will be watching out for this season. The pair worked quite well together at UConn and delivered a national championship. There are strong indications that the duo will work again, and if it does, it’s a big advantage for the Dallas Wings.

July 7, 2021: UConn sophomore Paige Bueckers right interviews freshman Azzi Fudd at Tuesday s media availability, July 6, 2021. – ZUMAm67_ 20210707_zaf_m67_035 Copyright: xShawnxMcfarlandx

One other player who will also draw attention on the Dallas Wings team this season is Arike Ogunbowale. After an injury-plagued 2025 season, she will be looking to bounce back to All-Star form. Her right knee tendinitis had caused her to miss 12 games in the 2025 WNBA season. With Bueckers and Fudd now sharing the backcourt, Ogunbowale is expected to play a more efficient scoring role rather than carrying the entire offensive load.

Strengths Heading Into the Season

The Dallas Wings are heading into the 2026 season with quite a roster. They have a projected starting five of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Azzi Fudd, Jessica Shepard, and Alanna Smith. That lineup presents very few obvious weaknesses on either end of the floor, and the bench depth behind them is just as solid.

Their biggest strength lies in the backcourt. The pairing of Bueckers and Fudd gives Dallas elite perimeter scoring and natural chemistry, while also improving their three-point threat, an area which they struggled with during last season. This setup also allows Ogunbowale to play a more efficient scoring role, rather than carrying the full offensive burden.

In the frontcourt, the additions of Smith and Shepard bring much-needed physicality and defensive stability. Smith’s rim protection and Shepard’s rebounding help address last season’s biggest issue on defense.

Questions That Need Answers & Season Prediction

Of course the Dallas Wings have done quite an extensive roster change ahead of this 2026 season. However, one usually peculiar thing about a team with so many new faces is the issue of chemistry. And so the question now is can a roster full of new faces build chemistry quickly enough to matter?

Well, even though there are a lot of new faces going into the season, the Dallas Wings are not actually starting from scratch. Bueckers and Fudd already share established on-court chemistry from their time together at UConn. Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard also have a history of playing together. If you then add that to the familiarity between Smith and Shepard from their previous stint as teammates, you begin to now see that there’s actually a foundation in place.

Now, beyond the team’s chemistry, another issue that is quite bugging is the three-guard lineup of Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers, and Azzi Fudd, who do not have so much advantage when it comes to size. And so the question now is, can a smaller three-guard backcourt hold up defensively.

Well, while they might not be the most advantageous when it comes to size, they can still find a way to cope. Specifically, they will need to rely more on discipline and positioning than size.

The expectation for the Dallas Wings will at least have a major leap from last season’s 10-34 record. The most plausible outcome is that they will end with a 20+ win season, and a playoff spot feels realistic if things fall into place.

A lot of this optimism however, hinges on how quickly Azzi Fudd adjusts to the league. But regarding that, all indications are pointing towards Fudd adapting well to the league. There are also predictions having her in line to win rookie of the year award.

The Dallas Wings know that talent alone will not help them, execution will. With Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Arike Ogunbowale anchoring a core that has been re-shaped, the ceiling remains higher than the last time.

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