Paige Bueckers, playing center, scored 20 points in the Wings’ season-opening victory in Indianapolis.
Jeff Dean / Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS — The Dallas Wings hit rock bottom in 2025, selecting Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick after a nine-win season and their third coaching change in four years. Bueckers became the lifeline for the struggling franchise, but even she couldn’t engineer an immediate turnaround as the Wings missed the playoffs in her rookie year.
On Saturday, however, the Wings opened the 2026 season with a 107-104 victory over the Indiana Fever in Bueckers’ sophomore debut, signaling that a franchise once adrift might finally see the shore. “I’ve been saying, I feel like this is the best roster we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said four-time All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale. “It’s just complete.”
Bueckers wasn’t the final puzzle piece, but she was the catalyst. After her rookie season ended with 10 wins and a second straight postseason absence, Dallas fired coach Chris Koclanes and hired Jose Fernandez, a respected college coach from South Florida, bucking the trend of NBA hires. In free agency, following a contentious 17-month CBA negotiation, general manager Curt Miller added forwards Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard, bolstering the roster. The Wings also drafted Bueckers’ UConn backcourt partner, sharpshooter Azzi Fudd.
The result of 13 months of moves was on full display Saturday, and the early grade was an A. Bueckers finished with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds, and just one turnover. “She’s special,” Fernandez said. “She reads how she’s being guarded. Having coached against her and seeing her now, she sees things two or three steps ahead. That’s remarkable.”
Bueckers had a busy offseason, including her first season in the Unrivaled three-on-three league and time with the senior US national team. She focused on bulking up to handle a 44-game WNBA season, with visible results in her stronger frame. She credited the weight room, better nutrition, and improved sleep. Less measurable is her leadership. “She’s one of those generational talents who shows up on and off the court,” Smith said. “She leads by example and holds herself to a high standard. For a young player to naturally walk the walk is rare.”
Beyond Smith, Bueckers has earned respect from WNBA veterans like Ogunbowale, who carried the Wings’ expectations for six seasons. “We just have to be ready because she’ll make the right read,” Ogunbowale said. “She’s super efficient every night… She’s really elite.”
The Wings enter 2026 with high expectations, widely predicted to return to the playoffs and potentially contend for a title. Bueckers holds the keys. “I’m not one to live in the past,” Bueckers said. “But I’m not sure how long it was until we got our first win.”
