Seeing four different head coaches come and go between 2019 and 2025, Wings fans have heard this a lot: a new era of Dallas Wings basketball is on the horizon. This time, it may actually be true. The Wings already have Paige Bueckers, a generational talent to build around, and another number-one pick coming in. They also replaced Chris Koclanes with a more experienced and determined head coach.
Jose Fernandez made it very clear in his introductory press conference that he came to Dallas to lead a winning team. He doubled down on that goal when he appeared on No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show.
“Short-term: get into the playoffs immediately,” Fernandez said about his goals for his first season in Dallas. “Can’t win a championship without getting to the playoffs, so that’s number one, right? And that’s going to be the expectation.”
If the Wings are to accomplish that goal, GM Curt Miller has to nail the upcoming offseason, because the team he constructed ahead of the 2025 season was not a playoff team, and neither is what remains of it.
Dallas needs an infusion of veteran talent to compete for the playoffs
The Wings got some great wins last season. They beat Golden State, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, New York, and Indiana, winning against every playoff team except for the Lynx and Aces. They also lost to the Sky, Mystics, Sparks, and Sun, though. The Wings simply weren’t a team meant to compete for a playoff spot.
Dallas has five players under contract for the 2026 season: Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, Diamond Miller, and Maddy Siegrist. Luisa Geiselsöder, Li Yueru, Haley Jones, and Grace Berger are reserved free agents. Arike Ogunbowale, Ty Harris, and Myisha Hines-Allen are unrestricted free agents. Even if the Wings re-sign all of their free agents, the roster doesn’t look much like a playoff team.
What Dallas needs to make it to the playoffs in the 2026 season is an influx of veteran talent and star power to complement its young core. With two consecutive number-one picks, new leadership, and a new arena and practice facility in the works, Dallas is a more interesting place for free agents than it has been in recent years.
But, since every team has ample cap space and two new teams are joining the league, the Wings will have plenty of competition for the top free agents this offseason. Many of the biggest names likely won’t be on the move at all, and the ones that want to explore free agency might be more interested in organizations that established that they could be successful or the expansion teams, which will be able to offer big roles to some free agents.
The Wings will have a lot of competition for the playoffs
Making the playoffs in the 2026 season won’t be an easy feat, considering how many teams will have their eyes on the postseason. The Aces, Lynx, Fever, and Mercury won’t be going anywhere. Las Vegas, Minnesota, and Phoenix may have to re-sign their cores to remain competitive, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Atlanta, New York, and Golden State also aren’t likely to fall out of the playoff picture. On top of that, the Sparks and Sky will be desperate to make the postseason. Seattle may also be in the mix, depending on what happens with their veteran free agents.
The Wings will have to get a lot better to compete with all of those teams and go to the playoffs.