The Dallas Wings have had many top draft picks in the last few years. They got Satou Sabally with the second-overall pick in 2020. A year later, they drafted Charli Collier and Awak Kuier with the top two picks. In 2023, they drafted Maddy Siegrist third overall and Lou Lopez Sénéchal fifth overall. The next year, Jacy Sheldon was their fifth overall pick. In 2025, they landed Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers and Siegrist are the only players from this list who played a significant role for the Wings in the 2025 season. Sabally was traded to the Mercury, Sheldon is now a member of the Mystics, Sénéchal only played 27 games in 2024, and Collier and Kuier haven’t played in the W since 2022 and 2023, respectively.
One of those players looks ready to make her return to the Wings and the WNBA in the 2026 season. Wings GM Curt Miller revealed on In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams that Awak Kuier was still a part of the organization’s plans.
“Awak is a big, big part of our future,” Miller said. “She has taken a couple of seasons off to improve her game, get stronger, get more confident, and she has done that.”
Awak Kuier is in the middle of a strong season
Kuier only turned 20 in her very first WNBA season and was one of the youngest players in the league. So, it is not a huge surprise that she got off to such a slow start. Four years after being drafted, Kuier is still only 24 years old—just a bit older than the average rookie coming out of college.
While Kuier hasn’t played in the W in a few years, she has been very active overseas. This season, she is playing for the Turkish club Galatasaray Cagdas Factoring Istanbul and putting up some solid numbers. She is currently averaging 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks in the Turkish league and 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals in EuroLeague competition. Kuier regularly plays heavy minutes and looks much more WNBA-ready than she did just a few years ago. She also played well for the Finnish national team in the EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Kuier’s WNBA return could impact the Wings’ draft decision
Miller is obviously eager to bring Kuier back to the WNBA and the Dallas Wings. If she makes her return to the W in the 2026 season, it could impact the Wings’ draft decision.
They have the number one pick and can choose between a wide array of players. Awa Fam may have the highest ceiling in the draft class, but she also has a similar profile to Kuier, and the two would make for a very young and inexperienced frontcourt. So, if Kuier is ready to suit up for the Wings again, Miller may opt to draft a guard instead and chase a veteran big in free agency.