The Dallas Wings need to make some changes during the offseason
Photo Courtesy of John Mac- Wikimedia Commons
As we head into the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) playoff run, let’s focus on some of the changes that need to happen during the offseason in order for the Dallas Wings to become a true contender.
The Wings have been plagued by injuries throughout this season, with Azzi Fudd out for the season and Alanna Smith facing numerous significant injuries. Furthermore, these are two of their best players, and the rest of the team—besides Paige Bueckers—simply cannot rise to the occasion.
Paige Bueckers was selected by the Wings as the number one pick in the 2025 draft, and her rookie season was hard to witness. Individually, Bueckers had an outstanding rookie season, breaking numerous records and earning herself a name as one of the top WNBA players. However, the team struggled with incompetent coaching and a starting lineup of bench players.
This season, it was clear that the Wings had made some changes with a new coaching staff and many roster changes, but as the season progressed, the same issues began to surface. The Wings are holding on to too many veteran (vets) players, and this prohibits them from developing the young core of Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Awak Kuier. During the offseason, the team signed Arike Ogunbowale to a two-year contract, and that was the beginning of their issues.
Ogunbowale has been with the Wings since getting drafted by them in 2019, and while fans admire her loyalty, it is time to move on from the playing style she brings to the team. In the several years that she has been with Dallas and led the team, they have only had one playoff run and have no accolades to show. She is also constantly showcasing absurd ball movement, unnecessary shot attempts, and constantly fouling the opposing team during crucial moments. One of the first moves that needs to happen in the offseason is relocating Arike Ogunbowale’s contract to another team where she will work better.
Another frustrating teammate has been Jessica Shepard. She started off the season strong and was crucial for the team, but she has become increasingly lazy on defense while also stat-padding her way to triple-doubles every game. Another contributing factor to why the team needs to trade Shepard is that she and Ogunbowale seem to have tunnel vision for each other at the worst times. During the first game of Dallas’ playoff run this season, Shepard and Ogunbowale continuously refused to pass the ball to Paige Bueckers—who was shooting 90 percent from the field and only missed one shot—while both of them were scoreless.
In terms of who needs to be a priority in the offseason, we can look no further than Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Awak Kuier. Bueckers is already earning herself a spot in MVP talks and is clearly a top-five player in the league, and other teams have noticed that. Some of the best coaches in the WNBA—including Natalie Nakase and Becky Hammon—have spoken out about how they would love to work with Bueckers. Coaches are not the only ones who want to work with her; players such as Sonia Citron, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart have all expressed their admiration for what Bueckers brings to a team and how they love playing with her. The Wings front office has also stated that players have already begun reaching out to come to Dallas and work with Bueckers once their contracts expire.
Azzi Fudd will also be crucial in building a dynasty team. Fudd and Bueckers are one of the best backcourts to ever play in college basketball, and bringing them to the WNBA has only amplified that. Although Fudd’s season ended early with a knee procedure, in the short time that fans witnessed the Bueckers and Fudd backcourt, it was clear how dynamic they are. Fudd is an exceptional three-point shooter, while also being insanely good on the defensive end. Next season, fans are looking forward to seeing the two of them continue to grow and show off their skills.
Awak Kuier has been a massive game changer for the Wings. She has been outstanding on the defensive end and with some development, she could become one of the best defensive bigs in the league. She set the Dallas Wings franchise record for blocks in a game when she recorded seven blocks against the Indiana Fever, and that type of defensive effort is what changes a game’s momentum. If the Wings do not re-sign her in the offseason, many teams would be more than willing to add her skills to their team.