The Dallas Wings haven't hidden the fact that the 2024 season wasn't their best. The team finished 11th in the league with a .225 winning percentage — their worst since 2011.
To say the Wings are on a resurrection tour is probably not too far from the truth. After all, there's a reason why Arike Ogunbowale celebrated when the team landed the top pick in this year's draft. The Wings have long been in need of a point guard to support Ogunbowale's efforts on the court, and Paige Bueckers is more than up to the task. She will do anything and everything to win, and that's music to the Wings' collective ears.
Assuming the Wings can keep them both on the roster, Aziaha James and Madison Scott will bolster every single effort toward making it to the playoffs this season. With these three choices the Wings have gone from almost dead last in the league to serious contenders the rest of the WNBA needs to be prepared for — let's look at why.
Dallas Wings round one picks: Paige Bueckers and Aziaha James
That Bueckers was going to be the first pick of the night has been a forgone conclusion for months, but there is no overstating the impact she will have on the team. Bueckers will nearly immediately provide major support for Ogunbowale. The Wings have needed a point guard for years and with Bueckers, they have certainly found one. Last season Bueckers was the only D1 player with 30 points per game scored or assisted on with 50% FG and 40% 3-pt FG.
Drafting James in the first round was a stealthy and impressive move by the Wings. The NC State standout has an arsenal of shots to deploy. She averaged 16.8 points per game in her junior year and has a three that is electrifying when she hits — and she hits often. James is a creative scorer who averaged 17.9 in the 2024-25 season and has shown she knows how to carry the offense well.
Dallas Wings round two picks: Madison Scott
Drafting Scott early in the second round was another smart play by the Wings. Throughout her time at Ole Miss Scott demonstrated a remarkable ability to take on whatever role is needed at any given time, and the result is that she's maximized every skill and can hang with the best of them at either end of the court. And the cherry on top? Scott was one of the best defenders in NCAA basketball this season.