During the 2025 WNBA draft, the Dallas Wings selected Paige Bueckers as their top pick. City rejoiced with the generational talent on the roster, but that was the only time when Texas may be celebrated in the entire season. Coach Chris Koclanes’ team finished 13th in the 13-team league with just nine wins from 43 games.
Bueckers surpassed Caitlin Clark’s scoring tally and matched the 2024 rookie of the Year winner’s few stats, but apart from her individual brilliance, the Dallas Wings had hardly any team celebrations. After the final game of the regular season, management will have to address some issues.
Dallas Wings’ Faces Crucial Head Coach Decision
Chris Koclanes was one of the first-time coaches in the WNBA, along with Natalie Nakase, Tyler Marsh, and Karl Smesko. While Marsh’s Chicago Sky also struggled in the 2025 season, Nakase created history by sending the Golden State Valkyries to the playoffs, and Karl Smesko also broke a 25-year-standing WNBA record for most wins in the first season as coach.
Keeping the achievers in mind, Wings’ HC’s performance looks worse. An early exit from the playoff race and a 9-34 record were sufficient to call out the young coach. The defensive-minded coach’s tactics hardly worked for the side, and on many occasions, players looked confused by his plays. Paige Bueckers’ reaction to HC’s play went viral as the team was struggling to deliver on the court.
Moreover, having the franchise’s top scorer, Arike Ogunbowale, the previous season’s most improved player, DiJonai Carrington, and a potent young core with Bueckers leading the line on the roster, many expected them to make it to the playoffs at least. However, injuries to players at key moments and underperformance from the stars put the HC in a bad light.
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Dallas’s decision to go small was entirely by choice, and Koclanes designed a poor rotation in the games. The team struggles in the paint and also creates opportunities against stronger sides. Playing at the highest level with ‘unprepared plans’ cost them dearly in the league. But it is not only the HC to blame for the team’s poor performance.
Dallas Wings’ Players Need To Take Responsibility
Moving out of the Dallas Wings, DiJonai Carrington shared a post mentioning that she is going to a better place, the Minnesota Lynx. While standing-wise, she was spot on, but it highlights how the team operated throughout the season. Keeping Bueckers’ extraordinary season aside, Ogunbowale and Carrington struggled with consistency on the floor.
With their lack of production, the young players had no ‘leader’ on the court or even on the bench to look up to. Even though Bueckers’ numbers bettered the team’s offensive rating, the Wings’ 109.4 defensive rating was the worst in the entire WNBA.
While injuries also affected the team’s performance, every other WNBA team went through the same issue and still delivered. The Indiana Fever, for example, had five players out for the season, including superstar Caitlin Clark, yet their depth and rotation put them in the seventh position.
Having said this, HC is the one who calls the shots and inspires players through difficult times. Will a change at the position help the team, or will a change in the roster help the side? It will be up to the front office, but fans want to see them perform on the floor rather than putting all on PB’s shoulders.