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Dallas Wings re-sign Thornton, Johnson and George

By Carly Grenfell

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 6: Kayla Thornton #6, Aerial Powers #23, Skylar Diggins-Smith #4 and Glory Johnson #25 of the Dallas Wings high five each other during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks during a WNBA game on August 6, 2017 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 6: Kayla Thornton #6, Aerial Powers #23, Skylar Diggins-Smith #4 and Glory Johnson #25 of the Dallas Wings high five each other during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks during a WNBA game on August 6, 2017 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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A trio of Wings return, and they’ll fit right back in.

Guess who’s back.

Back again.

Kayla Thornton, Glory Johnson and Cayla George are back for the Dallas Wings, the team announced Friday.

Under first-year head coach Brian Agler, this trio provides a lot of weapons for Dallas both offensively and defensively. If the Wings were to trade Liz Cambage, who led the team in points per game (23.0),  rebounds (9.7) and field goal percentage at a blistering 58 percent last season, the three of them will be even more valuable.

Agler’s teams, historically, have been a force on the defensive end of the floor. With Thornton being re-signed for 2019, she’ll play a key part in that trend. Last season, she averaged .795 defensive points per possession, per Synergy, which ranks 10th in the league (with a minimum of 200 possessions) behind the 2017 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and Agler’s former player, Alana Beard.

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But even with Thornton’s defensive prowess, you can’t count her out on offense. In 2018, her fourth season in the WNBA, she averaged a career-best 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, shot 44.7 percent from the field and was 86.0 percent from the foul line. She started in 32 games and helped lead the Wings to the 2018 WNBA Playoffs.

Johnson can produce on both ends of the floor, too. Second all-time in franchise history in career rebounds with 1,448, the 6’3 forward has earned her reputation as one of the best rebounders in the league. She played in 29 games and averaged eight points and six rebounds. In Agler’s words, Johnson’s “energy and athleticism, along with an evolving offensive game, make her one of the league’s premier forwards.”

Last but certainly not least, George will look to provide quality minutes for Dallas again in 2019. Although she only played around 10 minutes a game last year, she shot a 43.6 percent clip from the field, good for her career best in three WNBA seasons. If we see a Wings team without Cambage, her number could be called more often this year.

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