The highlight of the Wings’ offseason was undoubtedly drafting Paige Bueckers. Adding the UConn star to the roster made the blow of losing Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally hurt less. A backcourt of Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers will be dangerous, and the Wings also have other interesting young players, like DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith, and Maddie Siegrist.
Nevertheless, the Wings’ first preseason game was underwhelming, to say the least. Dallas suffered a 112-78 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. The Wings looked like they were no match for the more veteran Aces, struggling to contain Las Vegas’ scoring and running a rather clunky offense. The Wings’ offense didn’t look coherent and relied heavily on iso-ball.
Seeing the Wings struggle was not entirely surprising or unexpected. After all, this was the first preseason game for a team that underwent a major roster overhaul and just hired a first-time WNBA head coach. On top of that, the Wings were playing one of the top teams in the league.
Nevertheless, it brings up the question of what will happen if the Wings’ offense does not look better soon.
Chris Koclanes will have to improve the Wings’ offense
Despite having the number one pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings are not fully rebuilding. They still have an established All-Star and a young star in the making. So, instead of rebuilding, the Wings are retooling around Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers.
That may not lead to much playoff success right away, but the Wings should still want to win as much as possible. Most of the league will enter free agency after the 2025 season. The Wings have the opportunity to establish themselves as a team some of the top free agents should want to join.
To do that, they need to build a cohesive offensive system and at least compete defensively. Relying on isolation actions is not the way to do that. New head coach Chris Koclanes has to figure out how to put his players in the best position to succeed and create an offensive system that allows his top players to shine. Ogunbowale may be difficult to guard in an iso-situation, but that is not the way to win at the highest level.
If Koclanes cannot figure out how to improve the Wings’ offense during the season, his job could be in jeopardy quickly. The Wings need a coach, who can build and lead a winning team around Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers.
It is not time to panic yet
While the Wings’ first preseason game was rather concerning, it is not time to panic quite yet. It was only the first game against a strong team. The Wings have not had many opportunities to incorporate new pieces or build chemistry yet.
Koclanes still has plenty of time to create a cohesive offensive system and establish himself as the Wings’ coach of the future. One bad game early in the preseason is not enough to cause panic—as long as things improve soon.
The Wings will play another preseason game on May 11, giving them some time to practice, get used to each other, and implement offensive sets.