The Dallas Wings suffered a pretty tough loss to the Phoenix Mercury this week, something that could very well keep the team in the bottom two of the top 8 as they head into the WNBA playoffs. That will be a tough spot to be in, because Dallas will nearly immediately meet the mighty Minnesota Lynx or the extremely scary Golden State Valkyries when playoffs begin. But even if that happens, and even if the Wings crash out and exit during the first round, no outcome or reality can truly take anything away from what Dallas has accomplished this season.
No one really expected much from the Wings this year. The team came into the 2026 season with a kind of "anything is better than last year" approach. And though internal expectations were likely intense and high, the rest of the WNBA community was comfortable sitting back and watching. After all, the Wings had a brand new coach who had never coached in the WNBA before (Jose Fernandez) and back-to-back No. 1 draft picks (Paige Bueckers in 2025 and Azzi Fudd in 2026). Things could be great, they could be awful, or they could be something else entirely.
Now that we're on the tail end of the season, it's fair to put things squarely in the "great" column. The Wings are 8th in the league, they're headed to the playoffs, and despite the fact that Fudd suffered an injury and will miss the postseason, the future for her and for the rest of the team is bright. Fernandez has been more than vindicated, and it's likely no one will count the Wings out before next season.
If the playoffs began today, Dallas would end up going head-to-head with Golden State. But it seems more likely the team will round out the top 8 at the bottom of the list. Things hinge on a handful of games: if the New York Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream, the Washington Mystics win either of their final two games (the team plays one against the Connecticut Sun today before closing out the season agains the Chicago Sky), and the Fever beat the Lynx once (they play today and Thursday), Dallas will be the 8 seed.
But, again: no matter what, this season has been a winner for the Wings, and it's something they can build on for the future. The 2027 season will be a fun one no matter what, and the Wings will be a big part of that conversation.
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