The Dallas Wings made the biggest noise when they acquired the No.1 pick, Paige Bueckers, last year. With the UConn star expected to do great things, the fans were looking forward to a great season from the Wings.
Unfortunately, as the season progressed, the dreams came crashing down. With the team faltering big time, the Wings ended the season as the last team on the table. Surely, trying to rebuild from scratch, the Wings sacked their previous coach, Chris Koclanes.
And while Jose Fernandez will be taking on the reins, Geno Auriemma looks pretty satisfied. He also went on to point out that Fernandez will be the perfect coach to get the most out of
Bueckers.
Geno Auriemma Backs Jose Fernandez As Dallas Wings’ Coach
Auriemma has been one of the accomplished coaches in the college circuit. With his incredible coaching skills, Auriemma has made the UConn Huskies level up significantly.
Interestingly, the now Wings star, Bueckers, had played under the mentorship of Auriemma. And while he knows how much of a special talent the 23-year-old is, the Huskies head coach has always wanted the best for his number one student.
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Only recently, Auriemma dropped a blunt take on Bueckers’ delusion. And now, with Fernandez all ready to begin a fresh chapter with the Wings, Auriemma had some significant words of praise.
“I think Jose Fernandez is a great hire by the Dallas Wings. I’ve always had the utmost respect for Jose as a teacher and an innovator. He’s a guy who thinks outside the box, whether that’s recruiting internationally or playing a style of basketball that’s unique. As a person, I think he’s terrific at communicating with his players. He’s a relationship guy. I think he’ll bring tremendous energy, stability, and innovation to that organization,” said Auriemma.
From one basketball great to another 🤝 pic.twitter.com/IEOjdWbfBN
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) October 28, 2025
Surely, it was pretty clear last year that Bueckers was short of a partner. Thus, despite her incredible performances, the team as a whole failed to shine. And it is for this very reason that Auriemma previously asked to let Bueckers recruit the person she wants.’
Geno Auriemma Wants Paige Bueckers To Have A Bigger Role
Bueckers took the WNBA realm by storm. Playing in her rookie year, the 23-year-old broke several records to establish herself as a future superstar. She also won the Rookie of the Year award owing to such a strong showing. Now, as the Wings are looking for a complete roster shakeup, Auriemma wants the new coach to align with Bueckers’ ideals. And thus, he wants the star rookie to have more say in the recruitment.
“And it’s like recruiting. Recruit the person you want who has the qualities. But at the end of the day, whoever the coach is, you can make it work for them, or you can make it not work for them, provided there’s a good roster around you. So I think the roster is gonna be more important than the coach, even though the coach is crucial, obviously,” Auriemma stated.
Thus, it is evident that the Wings are pretty happy with their head coach. Now, it remains to be seen how the team fares in the future.