The Dallas Wings have gotten extremely fortunate over the previous two seasons, securing the No. 1 total choose two years in a row. In 2025, they chose Paige Bueckers first total, who was the universally agreed-upon selection for the primary choose in her class and is rapidly proving to be a frontrunner for the Wings. In 2026, they are going to draft one other game-changer with that first choose, however there’s much less consensus on who would be the high prospect come April. With selections, the Wings can choose somebody who enhances Paige and continues to strengthen their roster.
It hasn’t even been that lengthy since Dallas selected No. 1 within the draft most lately earlier than this run of luck. In 2021, they’d the identical honor, selecting Charli Collier because the No. 1 choose. But that was much less fortunate than it appeared, as 5 years later, Collier isn’t even on a WNBA roster in the intervening time. The workforce waived their No. 1 choose in 2023.
However regardless of getting the No. 1 and No. 2 total picks in 2021 and selecting within the lottery or early within the first spherical most years, Dallas has not been in a position to get their workforce off the bottom. They’ve solely made the playoffs in 5 of the final 10 seasons, and may’t appear to make themselves a sizzling free company vacation spot. Even on the teaching aspect, the thrill across the league was that the Wings let their 2025 head coach, Chris Koclanes, go partly as a result of Sandy Brondello grew to become out there. However whether or not Dallas was making an attempt to make an enormous swing for a championship-level coach for Bueckers or not, Brondello finally determined to go to the Toronto Tempo as an alternative.
In the end, there’s a lot going towards the Wings as they attempt to construct a championship workforce, even with their latest lottery luck. And this week’s information shouldn’t be serving to, as the development of their apply facility and new area is now delayed no less than one other 12 months.
That’s in all probability the most important think about attracting free brokers to Dallas to play with Bueckers and the eventual 2026 No. 1 choose. The WNBA is now in a scenario the place the most popular free company markets are those providing one of the best facilities to their gamers. It is smart — it’s wild that a few of these WNBA groups don’t have devoted locker rooms, apply amenities, and remedy facilities for his or her gamers. It’s no shock that, given the selection, the league’s finest gamers wish to play for groups which have the nicest amenities.
There’s additionally the truth that WNBA markets like Dallas and Los Angeles, who each (infamously) didn’t have public plans to construct state-of-the-art apply amenities till lately, seem to solely be doing so as a result of it’s more likely to change into obligatory for groups within the subsequent CBA.
The truth is, Dallas is operating out of time to make their franchise a championship-caliber vacation spot. Bueckers is coming into her second 12 months as a WNBA participant, her second of 4 seasons she has in her present rookie contract. There are additionally rumors that the WNBPA is proposing shortening rookie contracts within the new CBA, to offer gamers extra freedom and free brokers earlier of their careers. If that occurs, the time Dallas has to persuade Bueckers to make them her long-term workforce is already slipping away, if that rule finally ends up making use of retroactively to gamers presently on rookie offers.
The truth is, Bueckers is among the finest gamers within the WNBA proper now, at the same time as a rookie, and can solely get higher. She will win championships, MVP awards, gold medals, and extra throughout her profession. If anybody has the leverage to wish to be handled proper, it’s her. If Dallas doesn’t wish to give her every thing she wants and needs as an expert participant, any of the league’s different groups will fortunately do no matter they should with the intention to signal her or commerce for her.
She’s additionally only one individual, and the Wings want to begin attracting the precise gamers to spice up their workforce from fringe playoff/lottery workforce to contenders. With over 80% of the league heading into free company as soon as a brand new CBA is agreed upon, this can be a excellent 12 months for Dallas to draw some strong gamers. But, if they will’t provide the identical facilities and expertise as different markets with state-of-the-art amenities, that’s not going to work.
Time is ticking for Dallas to benefit from the shot they’ve been given, and now they might have one much less 12 months to take action.
