2025 marked the second season in a row that the Wings finished at the bottom of the standings. They won nine games in 2024 and 10 this past season. Fans are desperate for that to change, and new head coach Jose Fernandez made it very clear in his introductory press conference that he wants to win in Dallas. That is easier said than done, though. Turning the Wings into a playoff team and an eventual championship contender will take a lot more than bringing in another number-one pick.
The Wings are still working with a young, inexperienced roster, and are bringing in a first-time WNBA head coach. While Fernandez has decades of experience as a head coach in college, he still has to make the transition to the pro game and work with a completely new roster. That may take some time, and an immediate turnaround is far from guaranteed, even if the Wings manage to attract some impactful veterans in free agency. The WNBA promises to feature several strong, veteran teams, namely Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Atlanta, Indiana, and Phoenix. Even a revamped Dallas roster may not have the experience and chemistry to compete with those teams.
And that is if the organization even wants to be competitive in 2026 instead of chasing another high pick in a stacked 2027 WNBA Draft and starting to build a contender then. So, while adding another top pick is incredibly exciting and Dallas should become a free-agency destination soon, fans shouldn’t set their expectations for the 2026 season too high quite yet.
The 2027 WNBA Draft will be stacked
Several college stars are set to make the move to the WNBA ahead of the 2027 season. JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Mikaylah Williams, Madison Booker, Khamil Pierre, Kymora Johnson, and Taliah Scott could all be available in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
With that kind of talent coming into the WNBA, there is plenty of incentive for the Wings to chase another high draft pick instead of trying to become competitive right away. The Wings have their own first-round pick, which would have great lottery chances if they tanked another season, and the Aces’ first-round pick, which they secured when they traded NaLyssa Smith to Las Vegas.
Not rushing the rebuild could pay off in all the right ways
Rebuilds are a delicate matter. On one hand, organizations have to ensure that they aren’t rushing their players’ development and wasting assets. On the other hand, they have to ensure that their star players don’t grow tired of losing too quickly. The Chicago Sky’s situation is the perfect example of a rushed rebuild gone wrong. Instead of being patient and going through a proper rebuild around Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, the Sky rushed things, wasted a 2025 lottery pick, and still finished the season with an abysmal record.
The Wings don’t want to fall into the same trap. Giving Paige Bueckers another season to grow and allowing their 2026 pick to ease into the WNBA without the pressure of leading a competitive team right away, could pay off with tons of future success—especially if they select Awa Fam in the upcoming draft.