Trying to break the logjam in Dallas
The draft is complete and it’s still up in the air as to when the season will begin, but that hasn’t stopped teams from making moves. The Dallas Wings waived guard Kaela Davis on Thursday afternoon, less than a week after the 2020 WNBA draft. “On behalf of the Dallas Wings organization, I would like to thank Kaela for her hard work and contributions, both on and off the court,” Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb said in a press release. “We wish her the best moving forward.” In her three years in Dallas after being drafted tenth overall in 2016, Davis played 93 total games with the team. She posted averages of 5.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Over her three-year career in Dallas, Davis became a fan favorite. Always willing to stay late to sign autographs, personlize them (even if it wasn’t her day to sign) and visit groups of fans in the stands, she frequently gave away pairs of signed shoes. Her devotion to the fans even led to her staying after one of her games to play with a youth team who was using the court.
The first lucky fan to walk away with a pair of signed @Daela_Kavis3 game shoes 🙌🏽 #ThisIsWhyWePlay #WNBA | @TheWinsidr pic.twitter.com/BMMddqDVMQ
— Unc (@ItsUncleDrew_) June 14, 2019
Kaela Davis out here playing with the kids. This is what it's all about pic.twitter.com/Zb9MW8wLs0
— Eric (@nemchocke) June 8, 2019
But the move lets Dallas trim its roster early and makes the training camp numbers game less difficult. It’ll be different for a lot of fans in Dallas this upcoming season, with many of the most prominent figures in recent years now on other teams. Theresa Plaisance was traded near the end of last season, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Glory Johnson left this past offseason. These three had the longest tenures in Dallas of anyone on the team last year. The only players left on the roster who have played more than one season in Dallas are Allisha Gray and Kayla Thornton. Dallas is trying for something almost completely new. They look to be building a roster more suited for the coaching style of head coach Brian Agler, who has won a WNBA championship at both of his previous WNBA stops. Still, with sixteen players currently still on the roster even after the Davis move, it gives more reason for everyone to be on their toes. Still, a talented player like Davis is sure to find a new WNBA home soon.