Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings took down Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in Dallas’s season opener, but they have struggled in the two games since. After squandering a lead against the Atlanta Dream, the Wings lost 90-86 on Thursday night, falling to 1-2 on the season.
It’s been a frustrating start for a franchise that was aggressive this offseason, resigning All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and bringing in 2025 Co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith in free agency. The franchise is pursuing a win-now roster despite drafting first overall in each of the last two drafts.
Dallas also tabbed head coach Jose Fernandez to replace Chris Koclanes after Koclanes looked out of his depth in his lone season in the role.
As of Friday morning, Fernandez is overseeing the league’s fourth-worst defense (110.2 defensive rating), and after Thursday’s loss, he was blunt in his post-game presser about what he believes is at the core of his team’s issues.
“There’s selfishness in this locker room,” Fernandez said he told his players.
“You gotta look in the mirror and be accountable on how you played,” he said in the post-game press conference. “And don’t get upset if you think that you should have played more, or you didn’t play enough, or you didn’t get the shots that you think you should have gotten. Really good teams, they don’t give a shit about that. Know what they give a shit about? They give a shit about winning, because that’s what matters.”
Fernandez has faced criticism for bringing the 2026 first-overall pick, Azzi Fudd, off the bench to start the season. However, as far as he’s concerned, his players should focus less on minutes and more on maximizing whatever time they’re given on the floor.
“Minutes here, minutes there. Whatever minutes [Awak Kuier] gets, with her size, she can protect the basket,” he said. “Correct? So, I don’t know. Whatever minute she gets, or Maddy [Siegrist] gets, or [Alanna Smith] gets, or Fudd gets, just defend. Make use of your minutes, make shots, play the right way.”
Siegrist, who has seen her minutes drop from 27 last season under Koclanes to 14 this year, said in her own presser that she doesn’t know what her role will be moving forward.
“I don’t really know. So, I think you just gotta stay ready. You know, I’ve been in a lot of different roles in my career, whether I was coming off the bench, starting the game. So, just trying to provide a boost, whether that’s scoring, offensive rebounds, just trying to get back in transition, whatever is needed.”
Maddy Siegrist on her role:
“I don’t really know, I think you just gotta stay ready. I been in a lot of different roles in my career, whether coming off the bench, starting the game. Just trying to provide a boost wherever”
She’s playing 14 min per game, down from 27 last year. pic.twitter.com/BlUqTjV3Ll
— The Wings Bulletin (@WingsBulletin) May 15, 2026
For his part, Fernandez wants his team to focus less on individual roles and more on buying into the team as a collective.
“People can’t be concerned — really, really good teams and championship teams, they don’t care who starts, they don’t care how many minutes they play. They don’t care if the ball’s not going in for them; they can do different things on the defensive end. When we start doing that, and we don’t get in our feelings — because body language never whispers. Championship teams, you play for the guy next to you.
“And it doesn’t matter if the ball’s not going in, you can do so many other things. You can defend, you can share it, you can go get stuff off the glass. When that changes, then you don’t lose these type of games.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.