The Dallas Wings had much hope when they entered the WNBA campaign this year. Roping in the number one overall draft pick in Paige Bueckers, things seemed to be going perfectly well for the team. Surely enough, Bueckers did not disappoint. She played some impressive basketball and broke the Wings’ scoring record against the Warriors. Unfortunately, despite the rookie performing well, Chris Koclanes and co. had tough luck.
Koclanes’ team is languishing in last place with nine wins and 34 losses. And while the playoff hopes for this year are now buried, the team will be looking to regroup for the upcoming season. But before that, the Wings’ head coach revealed his biggest challenge this season.
Dallas Wings’ Chris Koclanes Happy To Receive Support Despite Major Setback
This Thursday, the Wings will play the final game of their season. While they would like to put up a strong performance against the Phoenix Mercury, things are quite gloomy for the team. Their 9-34 record is one of the worst in the WNBA. And taking on the mantle of a head coach for the first time, Koclanes, too, will be ending the season with a bitter taste.
Looking back at the season, the Wings’ head coach took a while to answer what his most difficult challenge was. “That’s a good question. Honestly just navigating everything for the first time… But luckily I’ve had tremendous support from the organization top down and from our assistant coaches and our extended staff to help me, guide me in navigating all of those decisions,” said Koclanes.
I asked Chris Koclanes what his biggest challenge has been this season in his first year as the Wings’ head coach pic.twitter.com/mIq2FozVrs
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) September 10, 2025
Surely, the team was hit with a lot of crises this year. Apart from the lack of consistency, Wings also had a depleted side due to a plethora of injuries. At one point, things were so bad that the Dallas Wings faced the risk of a WNBA forfeit owing to player injuries. Meanwhile, as the team will be signing off on a low, the future of Koclanes looks a bit uncertain.
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Will Chris Koclanes Come Back As The Dallas Wings’ Head Coach Next Season?
Having just nine wins from 43 games is not something that a first-time head coach would prefer. Especially when his peers had done some impressive work this season. Along with Koclanes, the likes of Natalie Nakase, Karl Smesko, and Tyler Marsh also came into the WNBA for the first time. Taking up the challenge, Smesko and Nakase took their respective teams to the playoffs. While Smesko broke a 25-year-old WNBA record, Nakase also surprised everybody with the Valkyries’ success.
On the contrary, the same cannot be said about Koclanes and the Dallas Wings. He did have the likes of Arike Ogunbowale, along with last year’s Most Improved Player, DiJonai Carrington. Not to mention the young core spearheaded by Bueckers. Unfortunately, as things did not go according to plan, rumors have surfaced about Koclanes’ future in the team. However, as of now, it does look like this year’s first-time head coach will get another chance to prove his worth.