The Dallas Wings have stumbled out of the gate with a league-worst 1-8 record, and their problems appear to go far beyond the absence of No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers.
Friday’s 93-79 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks marked Dallas’ fourth straight defeat—and their second four-game skid just nine games into the season. Bueckers, sidelined for the third consecutive game with a concussion, could only watch as the Wings were thoroughly outmatched.
While her absence has clearly impacted the team, there’s a growing concern that even a healthy Bueckers won’t be enough to fix what’s fundamentally broken in Dallas.
The offseason brought hope. First-year GM Curt Miller made a splash with high-profile trades for DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith, and Tyasha Harris, and then added the highly touted Bueckers in the draft. The team also hired Chris Koclanes, known for his defensive acumen from his time with USC and in the WNBA.
But that promise hasn’t translated to the court. Injuries to Bueckers and Harris (who’s missed four straight games) have played a role, but the Wings’ issues seem to run deeper. Even Koclanes admitted postgame that he and his staff have yet to find solutions.
Despite his reputation for building elite defenses—he guided top-3 scoring defenses in the WNBA from 2020 to 2023—Koclanes hasn’t managed to shore up the Wings’ glaring defensive deficiencies. Dallas ranks second-to-last in scoring defense, allowing 88.9 points per game—only ahead of the Chicago Sky.
It’s a continuation of last year’s struggles, when the Wings finished dead last in both scoring defense and defensive rating. And while the offense has been somewhat more productive—currently fifth in points per game—the inconsistency has made it irrelevant in the win column.
Star guard Arike Ogunbowale has had standout moments, including a 37-point, 7-assist game on May 27, but she’s been inconsistent. In June, she’s totaled just 16 points across two games on 8-of-25 shooting. Carrington has shown flashes, scoring in double digits in seven of nine games, but her physical style has drawn controversy—most recently during the loss to LA—adding to the team’s turbulence.
Structurally, the Wings appear disjointed. Whether it’s the system, execution, or a mix of both, there’s little on-court cohesion. Bueckers has impressed when healthy, and there’s optimism she could provide a midseason spark—perhaps similar to Caitlin Clark’s surge last year—but expecting a rookie to singlehandedly turn things around is unrealistic.
This might ultimately be a case of a new roster and coaching staff still trying to gel. But through nine games, the red flags are hard to ignore.
