The Dallas Wings are in the midst of a long-awaited rebuild. After spending two years near the bottom of the league, they drafted the last two first overall picks and signed big names in the past offseason. Now, heading into 2027, the Wings need to transition from that rebuilding team into a genuine playoff contender.
Coming off the largest turnaround in league history, the Wings aren’t too far away from challenging for a championship. They achieved a franchise-high 27-17 record this season. Despite that, many weaknesses became glaringly apparent.
The future is looking bright in Dallas, with a mix of their young core and experienced veterans. A few adjustments and changes to their roster could make them a team to fear ahead of next season.
The Interior Defense Collapsed Without Alanna Smith
A point of contention for the Wings last season was their interior defense. Alanna Smith’s absence due to injury left a hole in the frontcourt. The Wings often looked helpless defending in the paint, and opponents capitalized on that.
The Wings struggled to contain dominant opposing centers throughout the season. Against the Washington Mystics, Shakira Austin scored 67 points across three games against Dallas. Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso also caused problems. She averaged 20.7 points per game against the Wings, well above her season average of 14.7.
These matchups exposed Dallas’ difficulties defending size in the paint, an issue they will need to address as they look to complete their rebuild.
The Wings will also need to offer more support for Awak Kuier, a proven rim protector. She finished third in the WNBA in total blocks while only playing 18.6 minutes per game. If the Wings can re-sign her during this off-season and give her a defensive-minded partner, she will play a key part for Dallas next year.
Bueckers Needs a Backup Who Can Actually Stay on the Court
Dallas has one of the best point guards in the league. Paige Bueckers led the Wings in scoring and assists, playing 45 games last season. In order for the Wings to maintain her health and availability, they will need to add more depth at her position.
Bueckers played 32.8 minutes per game, the sixth most in the league. Odyssey Sims was signed during the last off-season as a veteran backup point guard, but she missed over 20% of the Wings’ regular season games.
Adding more depth will also give Bueckers opportunities to play off-ball. During the 2026 playoff series against the Valkyries, Bueckers faced constant high-pressure defense when bringing the ball up the floor.
In the Game One post-game interview, she said: “They show multiple bodies, they blitz, they make every shot tough, so nothing about tonight was easy.” She finished that game with only 10 shot attempts, only the third time that season she had been held to 10 shots or fewer.
Signing or drafting more players at point guard offers Dallas more offensive versatility, allowing them to be more unpredictable.
8-15 Against Playoff Teams Isn’t Good Enough
During the regular season, the Wings went 8-15 against playoff teams. Improving their performances against playoff-caliber opposition will indicate that they are ready to take the next step towards becoming a genuine contender.
The Wings often disappointed in tough matchups and gained a reputation for blowing big leads, most notably in their elimination game. Despite having a 16-point second-half lead against Golden State, the Wings ultimately came up short, losing to the now-champions.
This team has the foundations to become great. They have a talented young backcourt and a coach in Jose Fernandez who led them to a record season.
With just a few adjustments, the Wings have every chance to win a championship within the next few years.
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