The 2025 Dallas Wings Preview » Winsidr

All eyes are on the Dallas Wings to finally get it right in 2025. Since the franchise relocated to Dallas, TX in 2015 and rebranded itself from the Tulsa Shock, it has not seen much success.

The organization has made five playoff appearances over the last nine seasons, but four of those appearances saw first-round exits. In 2023, the Wings advanced to the second round of the playoffs but were swept by the reigning champions Las Vegas Aces 3-0 in the series.

Despite securing multiple impact players over the years, it’s safe to say that the Wings historically have not had a winning formula to be true contenders or championship-worthy. However, the stars—and draft lottery ping pong balls—have aligned for the franchise to take the proper steps toward ascension.

Step 1: Front Office Changes

The Wings parted ways with former head coach (HC) Latricia Trammell in October of last year. Trammell coached the Wings for two seasons and logged a 31-49 record during this time, though she could not survive last year’s abysmal 11th-place finish. 

In year one with the franchise (2023), Trammell focused on creating winning habits, like paying attention to details and what she calls EDGE (efficiency, dynamic, growth, energy) work, while also prioritizing relationships with her players. Her lightheartedness and flexibility was a different approach for the team and players really resonated with her teachings. Satou Sabally was named the Most Improved Player and to All-WNBA First Team during Trammell’s first year, and both Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale were tapped as All-Stars. Things were looking up for the Wings—ending the 2023 campaign as one of just four teams to finish above .500—and players seemed to buy into Trammell’s system to reach new feats. However, that fate changed in 2024.

The Dallas Wings notched a 9-31 record last season and were statistically in the bottom tier of nearly every ranking. Unlike in 2023, Trammell was unable to rally her team, and players were visibly annoyed, disgruntled, and frustrated on the court numerous times. Sabally was unavailable during the first half of the season due to an offseason injury, and players Jaelyn Brown and Natasha Howard suffered injuries of their own during the first weeks of play. Arike Ogunbowale nursed smaller discomforts throughout the season, making her a mainstay on status reports. The Wings leaned on hardship contracts, securing players like Monique Billings and Odyssey Sims, but inconsistent coaching and lineups and a lack of team chemistry ultimately led to the Wings’ 2024 disappointment.

Along with the team parting ways with Trammell last October, team President and CEO Greg Bibb decided to step down from his role of general manager (GM), hiring longtime WNBA coach and executive Curt Miller in his place. This came as a shock to many, considering Bibb always had a tight grip on the roster and he was dedicated to executing his vision for the franchise. Miller’s addition signals that Bibb is ready to explore a new approach in 2025.

“Curt Miller is a proven winner with deep experience building and leading WNBA rosters and staff,” said Bibb. “I believe Curt’s ability to construct winning teams as well as his success in coaching in the WNBA and beyond will prove invaluable for our organization as we continue our pursuit of a WNBA championship.”

Miller spent 23 years on the college scene as an assistant and head coach for five different programs. In 2015, he spent one year as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Sparks, and then quickly jumped to the dual GM-HC role with the Connecticut Sun in 2016 where he remained for seven seasons. After the 2022 WNBA season, Miller was named the new HC of the Los Angeles Sparks where he remained for two seasons, working alongside newly hired GM Raegan Pebley. He recorded a 25-55 record during his two-year head coaching stint with the Sparks.

One of Miller’s first moves as acting GM was hiring Chris Koclanes as Trammell’s replacement. Koclanes most recently served as an assistant coach for the University of Southern California’s (USC) women’s basketball team for the past two seasons. He first joined the organization in 2015 and remained at USC until 2019 when he became an assistant coach for the Sun.

Curt Miller hired Koclanes as a video coordinator in 2016 for the Sun. Over time, Koclanes advanced into a coaching role in 2019, when he left USC, and served as the defensive coordinator. He assisted the Sun franchise in reaching the 2019 and 2022 Finals as well as the 2020 and 2021 WNBA Semifinals. Miller also brought Koclanes along with him to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2023 where he also reprised the role of defensive coordinator.

Now, Koclanes is part of leading the charge for the new-look Wings who have secured a bright future for themselves through the draft and free agency. He brings with him notable assistant coaches Camille Smith, (Unrivaled Champion) Nola Henry, and Belle Koclanes, along with Addison Lee as the Director of Basketball Analytics and Strategy.

(In other front office moves, Chief Operating Officer [COO] Amber Cox left the Wings to become the Indiana Fever’s COO and GM. During her time with the Dallas franchise, Cox oversaw ticket sales, partnerships, and other similar departments.)

Step 2: WNBA Draft Lottery

The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery was held Nov. 14, 2024, nearly one week after Koclanes was hired and a month after Miller’s GM addition. By the luck of the draw, the Dallas Wings secured the No. 1 overall  pick, and it was no secret which college prospects were ranked among the top.

Securing the first pick in a highly coveted draft was the exact reset the Wings needed. The franchise last had the first pick in the 2021 Draft and took Charli Collier with them into the future. However, after her first season, Collier’s role significantly reduced, and she was eventually waived by the team following their 2023 training camp. In addition, the Wings historically have not retained the majority of the draft picks they’ve taken year-to-year. Over the past five seasons, Ogunbowale, Tyasha Harris, and Maddy Siegrist are the only players on the team who were drafted by the franchise, and Harris returned in 2025 after playing in Connecticut for two seasons.

Bibb finally released the reins on the franchise to bring forth a new vibe, culture, and experience where players could finally see the destination of Dallas. With a battle tested and trusted executive like Miller now as the Wings’s GM, and Koclanes following in his footsteps, there’s no way the Dallas Wings could fumble drafting the first pick this time around. Right? Maybe the universe rewarded the franchise for their willingness to change with the No. 1 pick, but only time will tell how a combination of draft picks and free agency moves will pan out for the Wings organization.

Step 3: Free Agency

In: DiJonai Carrington, Myisha Hines-Allen, NaLyssa Smith, Tyasha Harris

Out: Jacy Sheldon, Jaelyn Brown, Kalani Brown, Natasha Howard, Satou Sabally, Sevgi Uzun

Training Camp: Kaila Charles, Joyner Homes, Luisa Geiselsöder, Mai Yamamoto*, McKenzie Forbes,* Mikiah Herbert Harrigan*

(Waived players are marked with an asterisk) 

The Dallas Wings made highly competitive moves during the offseason to bolster its reinforcements around Ogunbowale and the incoming No. 1 pick. The franchise only retained three players from the previous season heading into 2025: Ogunbowale, Sigerist, and center Teaira McCowan.

DiJonai Carrington is expected to be the leader and enforcer on the defensive end. During media day, Carrington acknowledged the Wings lacked on defense the previous year and she’s looking forward to leading the charge on correcting course. Harris returns to Dallas poised to take charge of the point guard position, knowing how and when to adjust the pace and gameplay for her team. She’s also a capable three-point shooter, knocking down 38.3 percent of her looks across her career.

Smith enters the organization with a fresh start after seeing a slight reduction in minutes last season with the Fever. She averages 13.0 points per game (PPG), shooting 45.8 percent from the field, and pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game (RPG). Smith’s role within the rotation is still to be determined, but she will have the chance to carve out significant minutes. Depending on usage at the small forward (SF) and forward (F) positions, Smith could be first off the bench and in contention for Sixth Player of the Year. Lastly, Dallas signed Hines-Allen as a free agent, who made an appearance in the 2024 Finals after being traded midseason to the Minnesota Lynx. She brings reinforcement to the post to assist McCowan, and she knows how to create winning plays for herself and her teammates. 

Miller was intentional about his free agency acquisitions, citing that he purposely brought in players under 30 and in or near their primes.

The Dallas franchise finally parted ways with Sabally after five seasons. She found success with the organization multiple times through her MIP and All-Star honors, but the new era of Wings basketball required letting go of once essential pieces. She was traded to the Phoenix Mercury on a three-team deal that brought Smith to Dallas. [Kalani] Brown also found success with Dallas after being signed to a hardship contract in 2023, and securing a protected three-year deal in 2024. She was also part of the three-team deal featuring Sabally. Howard was also an essential member for the Wings over the past two seasons. However, nearly 24 hours following the team’s final game last season she took to social media to announce she’d be exploring free agency fully in 2025. Howard signed a one-year deal to join the Indiana Fever. 

All signs pointed to starting anew with the roster for Miller except for those three crucial pieces from the previous year. The Dallas Wings played hard and were rewarded big during free agency, luring the No. 1 pick more and more into the fold. As March Madness approached and college prospects began to decide whether or not to declare for the WNBA Draft, the Wings’ gaze never faltered from their top target.

Step 4: WNBA Draft

Finally, we’ve made it to Paige Bueckers. From the moment the Wings landed the first pick in the draft lottery, they were set on Bueckers and the potential of having a diligent, insightful, and winning player on the team. She developed her game at UConn under Geno Auriemma, adding her name to a long list of legends and champions that includes Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, and Swin Cash.

Throughout the draft process, prospects Olivia Miles and Dominique Malonga were also speculated to be among the top selections. There was light speculation that Miles could potentially go No.1, but she was focused on returning to the college scene and transferred to TCU. Malonga landed second overall with the Seattle Storm.

Bueckers enters the franchise at the right time, when an organization is willing to try something new to achieve different results. She’s the point guard of every team’s dream: great decision-making and high basketball IQ, efficient, and selfless. Her achievements on the college level will be enhanced in the WNBA as she competes against the best players in the world. There’s not much cause for concern for Bueckers outside of the usual rookie tropes like improving defensively and the size advantage veterans have. Still, the Dallas Wings have been keeping a close eye on her usage and health with the quick turnaround from the college season to the W. Bueckers sustained multiple injuries throughout her college career, including multiple knee and ankle injuries. She told reporters that she’s highly focused on staying healthy this year with an emphasis on R&R (rest and recover).

Bueckers has been learning the balance of physicality for both sides of the floor as of late.

She doesn’t want to play too hard and disrupts her body, but understands being aggressive and physical is part of the game.

— Jasmine Harper (@hausofharper) May 7, 2025

Beyond Bueckers, the Wings were set up with more draft capital to try to land more young talent, selecting Aziaha James, Madison Scott, Aaronette Vonleh, and JJ Quinerly later in the evening. James considers herself a three-level scorer–molding her game after Candace Parker–and she plans to prioritize perimeter shooting and defense. JJ Quinerly is a swaggy guard who can balance running the point or playing off the ball. Quinerly’s 5’5” height may pose an issue in the backcourt, but as we’ve seen from undersized G and 2020 Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield you can still impact the pro game. Scott and Vonleh were waived following the Wings’ preseason games.

James and Quinerly made strong impressions during preseason action. The rookies acted as sponges, soaking up their veterans and coaches’ teachings to secure a roster spot this season and remain in the league long-term. Though Scott did not make the final Wings roster, she stood out to fans and media during training camp. Her dedication to the game, positive outlook, and size on the court could find her back on a WNBA roster soon.

2025 Expectations vs. Reality

All things considered, a few question marks remain for the Dallas Wings despite the honeymoon phase the franchise is in right now. First, what will HC Koclanes’ coaching style entail, and what will his rotations look like? It’s fair to ask this of a first-time head coach, but it’s also fair considering Dallas’ historical lack of consistency. Again, Miller being the GM is the best-case scenario for this Wings team, and Koclanes is a proven basketball mind with a capable mentor to lean on and help it all come together. His experience as a defensive coordinator will steer him heavily as the team seeks to bounce back from last year’s horrors.

In terms of the starting lineup, Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Carrington are obvious check marks but just two spots will remain for some combination of Siegrist, Smith, McCowan, and Hines-Allen. Will McCowan come off the bench for the first time with the Wings, or will Siegrist, Smith, or Hines-Allen fill that role? The team still has at least one more cut to make this week to bring the roster down to 12 by 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Dallas has the potential to make it to the postseason with the current roster. But what about after that? With multiple rookies on the bench and only one player with championship experience (Hines-Allen), it will be tough for the Wings to push past the competition to round two. Leaning on coaching and Koclanes’ system, team chemistry, and a commitment to discipline and consistency will prove essential to the franchise’s advancement. 

Lastly, the lone question stands: will the Dallas Wings finally get it right in 2025?