Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez didn't really like suggestions — or outright statements — that he benched Alanna Smith in favor of Awak Kuier during the team's 91-76 win over the New York Liberty. As Fernandez made clear to reporters after the game, having Smith sit out the second half of the game wasn't anything personal, and it definitely wasn't a reflection of how he feels about who she's been playing.
"I don’t look at it as anyone getting benched, right?" Fernandez told reporters after the game. "I don’t like to use that word. It’s just rotationally and matchup-wise, we just felt on the offensive and defenisve end, having her in the game would give us the best opportunity for success."
Kuier went on to have an excellent game for the team with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks, and both players were part of the reason why the Wings pulled off such a dominant win.
Jose Fernandez isn't the only coach who rejects the idea of "benching"
Though some were surprised by Fernandez's words, he's not the first coach to reject the idea that there's some kind of punitive nature to telling a player to take a seat. Perhaps his experience in college basketball is part of the reason why (he previously coached at USF for over 20 years).
The topic came up a few times during the 2025-26 NCAA season, and both Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Vic Schaefer (Texas) also spoke out against the idea that they were putting players on the bench in favor of others. While speaking to reporters after the Tigers' 116-58 win over Jacksonsville during the first round of March Madness, Mulkey pointed out that she can only have five players on the court at a time no matter what she wants to do, so that means someone isn't going to be playing — even if they should be.
"I can only start five. So I have to make that decision. I don't really like using the word 'bench' because I remember when I played I came off the bench and I never liked that," Mulkey said. "I'm as good as those out there on the floor. She just has to pick five at a time."
That's the kind of phrasing that really means a lot to a team, especially when concerns about who is or isn't getting a lot of clock are rampant. Similarly, Schaefer told reporters in February that he hadn't benched Rori Harmon — he'd simply made a substitution. "You gotta stop staying benching,” Schaefer said. “This is a game, and it’s basketball. You make substitutions, so it’s not benching. I just brought up before when I subbed in Bry for Rori at LSU. It’s not benching. If she doesn’t play on Sunday, you can come at me with benching."
Add us as a preferred source on Google