When the WNBA season kicks off this year, the Dallas Wings will be one of a handful of teams with a brand new coach. In fact, Jose Fernandez is completely new to the league — but, as he shared in an interview with WFAA Dallas this week, that doesn't mean he's got low expectations. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
We may not have a new CBA, and therefore still don't know when league business will resume, but Fernandez made it clear that he wants the Wings to go all the way to the Championship. "If we can put a really good roster together around the current players that we have, there should be no reason why we’re not a playoff contender," Fernandez said.
He continued: "I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t think I could be a great change to the organization. They’re going to play with great passion. There’s not going to ever be a reason for anyone to think they didn’t play hard. My expectation in taking this job is to win a championship.”
Jose Fernandez has his work cut out for him
As Fernandez also pointed out, he might be new to the WNBA but he's not new to coaching women's basketball. He's spent the last 25 years coaching the team at the University of South Florida, and is good friends with a crucially important person to the sport: UConn's head coach Geno Auriemma.
Auriemma, of course, coached the Wings' Paige Bueckers for five years at the school. While speaking to WFAA Fernandez had only positive things to say about Bueckers, who emerged as a leader for the team during her rookie season.
"Paige is a relentless worker. She wants to be the best," he said. "She’s got one of the best mid-range games in the entire world. A three-level scorer — getting to the rim, mid-range game and also shooting the three."
Fernandez also revealed that he spent several days speaking to Auriemma about Bueckers before he officially took the job with the Wings. "It was a good understanding on how she responds to coaching, how she wants to be coached, and certain things with her, with the basketball, what she really likes," he added.
The Wings will need to be able to take full advantage of free agency (once its underway; free agency is also on hold until a new CBA is in place) if they hope to recruit players who can help Fernandez achieve his goals. The team didn't have their strongest season under Chris Koclanes last year, and actually finished at the bottom of the standings.
Still, the right leadership will go a long way toward attracting the right players, and if Fernandez can convince a key veteran or two to sign on in Dallas to play with Bueckers, he'll already have a foot in the door.