The Dallas Wings came into the 2026 season with nothing to lose. The team did not meet its own expectations last season, let alone those of fans — especially after the hype of drafting Paige Bueckers as the No. 1 overall pick straight out of UConn. But they made some big changes in the offseason, including hiring Jose Fernandez as head coach.
Fernandez's hiring has been under scrutiny ever since. To a degree, that happens with every professional team in every professional league everywhere: coaches are front and center, often bearing the full weight of everything that happens with a team. They're usually the first person blamed for a loss and the last person celebrated for a win. Fernandez has come under fan fire all season for not playing certain players enough, or playing other players too much, or not getting the Wings to where they need to be.
Now that Dallas has clinched its first playoffs berth since 2023 — a big feat for any coach, and one that should be celebrated — detractors have largely stayed silent. Arike Ogunbowale appeared ready to shut down any anti-Fernandez narratives for good Tuesday night after the team beat the Portland Fire. As she told told reporters, "They got it right with the coaches."
With those seven words, Ogunbowale made it clear that much of what is discussed online, whether it's in fan forums on Reddit or on social media platforms like Instagram and Threads, is not only not true — it' s even really based in reality. If Fernandez had truly lost control of the locker room, it's not likely the team would have made it to the playoffs, and Ogunbowale certainly wouldn't have made a point of noting what's been "right" about a 2026 season that's working for the team.
The Wings' climb through the playoffs will be tough. They will likely have to meet the Minnesota Lynx or Golden State Valkyries early in the process, games that will result in an early exit or the kind of upest we haven't seen in... quite some time. If the former is what transpires, Dallas fans still have plenty to be excited for. Azzi Fudd will be back next season, the team is likely to pick up a few players in the 2027 WNBA Draft, and Fernandez will, ideally, be at the helm of the entire operation.
As ever, perhaps Ogunbowale's words are yet another reminder that when it comes to how happy players are, it's good to actually look at the source.
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