José Fernández, the new head coach of the Dallas Wings, is already familiar with star Paige Bueckers. During his time as a coach at South Florida, Fernández faced Bueckers, who was a three-time All-American, several times during her outstanding career at UConn. Now, Bueckers, the first overall pick of the Wings this year, and Fernández, who was officially introduced as the new coach on Thursday, will join forces in the professional arena with the hope of bringing Dallas back into contention for the playoffs and, ultimately, compete for a championship. “This will not be the same as the old Dallas Wings, my brother. Change is coming and we are going to win.” The Wings have resurged with Bueckers, whom Fernández called “one of the faces of the league”, now on the team. Although Dallas finished in last place in 2025 with a record of 10-34, Bueckers dazzled as the team’s only All-Star, a second-team All-WNBA selection, and Rookie of the Year.
The Wings decided to dispense with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes in September and sought a coach with experience and a proven track record of sustained success. General Manager Curt Miller added that the franchise also looked for a new coach who was strong in player development, an “innovator” and, if possible, someone with international reach. Dallas missed the playoffs the last two years and has only advanced beyond the first round in the postseason once since they moved to Dallas from Tulsa in 2016. They have also experienced a lot of turnover, now on their fifth coach in seven years. But with the organization now on the rise, not only with Bueckers on the team, but with an imminent move from Arlington to Dallas and a new practice facility on the way, expectations have never been so high, both internally and externally. Fernández was an attractive choice after turning USF into one of the most consistent and successful mid-major schools in the country, where he ran a pro-style offense with European influences, excelled at international recruiting, and produced dozens of players who went on to play in the WNBA or overseas.“Paige is special. Great players want to be coached. She wants to be coached and held accountable. And I think the things we’re going to do in the half-court and in the open court suit her. So I’m very excited to work with her.”
José Fernández
While he will have the task of building around Bueckers, there is a lot of uncertainty with the roster beyond that. A two-team expansion draft will be held after the new collective bargaining agreement is completed, and then all but two league veterans will be free agents. Dallas also has the best odds of getting the number 1 pick in the next draft lottery. The Wings’ roster is young as it stands: their only players under contract are Bueckers, 2025 draftees Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly, Maddy Siegrist and Diamond Miller, but Miller said the team will eventually look to add veterans and more talent while preserving their culture. “There will be tremendous collaboration in the decisions around the expansion draft, the decisions around free agency and, finally, the decisions we will discover at the end of this month, where we will land in the draft,” Miller said.“This job wasn’t for everyone. The scrutiny, the expectation that comes now with the job in Dallas is extremely high, and that scared people. And what I loved about [José is] that it didn’t scare him, in fact, it motivated him in our conversations.”
Curt Miller
