José Fernández knows Paige Bueckers, the star of women’s basketball, well. As a coach in South Florida, Fernández faced Bueckers several times during her outstanding career at UConn. In addition, Fernández maintains a friendship with Bueckers’ former coach at UConn, Geno Auriemma. Now, Bueckers, the first overall pick of the Dallas Wings this year, and Fernández, who was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Wings on Thursday, will join forces in the professional league with the hope of bringing Dallas back into contention for the playoffs and, ultimately, compete for the championship.
The Wings have resurfaced with Bueckers, whom Fernández called “one of the faces of the league”. Although Dallas finished in last place in 2025 with a 10-34 record, Bueckers dazzled as the team’s only All-Star, was selected for the All-WNBA second team, and was Rookie of the Year. “Paige is special,” Fernández said. “Great players want to be coached. She wants to be coached and held accountable. And I think the things we’re going to do on the court and in the open field suit her. So I’m really excited to work with her.” Fernández continued explaining the importance of developing a good relationship with all the team players, so that they feel comfortable on the court. The Wings decided to dispense with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes in September and sought an experienced head coach with proven success. The franchise also looked for a new coach who was strong in player development, added General Manager Curt Miller, an “innovator” and, if possible, someone with international reach. The Wings haven’t reached the playoffs in the last two years and have only advanced beyond the first round in the postseason once since moving 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 just with Bueckers, 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 programs 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.“This will not be the same as always in Dallas Wings, my brother,” said Fernández, paraphrasing his late colleague at USF, Amir Abdur-Rahim. “Change is coming and we are going to win.”
José Fernández
While the task will be to build 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 veterans from the league will move to free agency. Dallas also has the best odds of getting the number 1 pick in the next draft lottery. The Wings’ roster is young as it is: their only players under contract are Bueckers, 2025 draft classmates Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly, Maddy Siegrist and Diamond Miller, but Miller said the team will ultimately look to add veterans and more talent while preserving their culture. “There will be tremendous collaboration on decisions around the expansion draft, decisions around free agency and, finally, decisions we’ll find out later this month, where we land in the draft,” Miller said.“This job wasn’t for everyone,” Miller said. “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
