DHJ Quick Take: Awak Kuier Carves Out Frontcourt Role With Two-Way Production Off The Bench
- Back-To-Back Impact Games: Awak Kuier has emerged as one of the Dallas Wings’ most impactful second-unit pieces, posting 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 24 minutes during Sunday’s 91-76 road win over the New York Liberty. The performance came on the heels of her career-high 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting against the Atlanta Dream on May 22.
- Elite Offensive Efficiency In Limited Possessions: Across 7 games on Synergy, Kuier ranks in the 99th percentile leaguewide with 1.323 points per possession, finishing 14-of-21 from the field overall (66.7%) with a 78.6% effective field goal mark. She has averaged 13.0 points over her last two games while shooting 88.9% from the floor and 80.0% from three.
- Team-Leading Net Rating: With Kuier on the floor through 65 minutes, the Wings own a plus-23.4 net rating that leads the team, anchored by a 117.3 offensive rating and a 93.9 defensive rating. When she sits, Dallas has been outscored at a minus-6.0 net rating across 175 minutes.
- Frontcourt Fit Behind Shepard, Smith: Head coach Jose Fernandez has built the Wings’ frontcourt rotation around versatility, with Kuier carving out minutes alongside Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith. Fernandez highlighted Kuier’s ability to stretch the floor as a shooter while still protecting the basket as a rim defender.
DALLAS — Awak Kuier turned in a second straight impact game off the bench in the Dallas Wings‘ 91-76 road win over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on Sunday. The forward finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks in 24 minutes.
She went 2-of-3 from three. A triple at the end of the first quarter cut New York’s lead to 20-17, and another in the third helped Dallas stretch the margin into double digits.
Head coach Jose Fernandez leaned on Kuier for those 24 minutes, well ahead of starter Alanna Smith‘s near-15. After the game, he framed the mid-game decision as matchup-driven rather than a benching.
“I don’t look at it as anyone getting benched. I don’t like to use that word. Rotationally and matchup-wise, we just felt on the offensive and defensive end that her being in the game would give us the best opportunity for success,” Fernandez said.
A Two-Way Frontcourt Fit
Fernandez has built the Wings’ frontcourt rotation around versatility, with Kuier emerging as a stretch-five who can shoot from the perimeter and protect the basket. At practice on Tuesday at SMU, he talked about what her length unlocks defensively.
“I think because of her length, she can protect the basket and change shots. So length obviously is huge. It determines your positioning. It determines how you consider your lineups down the road that you’re going to use down the road as well,” Fernandez said.
Sunday, Fernandez framed the depth itself as the advantage. With Kuier emerging alongside Jessica Shepard, Smith, and Maddy Siegrist, the Wings have multiple frontcourt looks depending on the matchup — and Kuier’s perimeter shooting and switchability make her different than the more traditional options.
“Look at now Awak with time and her being so comfortable. She can stretch the floor because she can shoot the three, but also protect the basket. Anything post-to-post, she can switch with Jess,” Fernandez said. “It’s a good problem to have when you have Jess, Alanna, Maddy, Awak — on any given night, depending on what our needs are and who we’re playing, any one of them can play and help us.”
Kuier finished plus-17 in the win, second on the team, only to Azzi Fudd‘s plus-22.
The early-season numbers, while limited to a 65-minute sample, back up the eye test. With Kuier on the floor through 6 games, the Wings have posted a 117.3 offensive rating and a 93.9 defensive rating, good for a plus-23.4 net rating that leads the team. The Wings have also rebounded a strong 50.0% of available boards with Kuier on the court, including a 28.8% offensive rebounding rate.
When she sits, the Wings have been a different team. Through 175 minutes with Kuier off the floor, Dallas has been outscored at a minus-6.0 net rating, with the defensive rating climbing to 112.0 and the effective field goal percentage falling from 58.0% to 49.7%.
Awak Kuier on Dallas Wings’ Defensive Switching
The Wings held the Liberty to just 32 points in the second half by leaning into a more switch-heavy defensive look. New York faced increased challenges in the half-court, with Kuier at 6-foot-6 and a 6-foot-10 wingspan; her length often led to close shot contests, and her presence deterred rim attacks. Kuier said the scheme fits the roster’s strengths.
“I think the switching helps us be more aggressive. We can really just get to the ball, and I think we’re a very mobile team, so that also helps us a lot,” Kuier told Dallas Hoops Journal at practice Tuesday. “But moving forward, I feel like we can do anything. Our team is very capable of doing anything, so I think we’ll have to see.”
Shepard emphasized the importance of the Wings continuing to lock in defensively on their concepts and being aggressive as a group. However, when either a rim protector like Kuier or Alanna Smith is on the court, they provide interior impact that benefits the group.
“I think when we’re aggressive as a group, we’re a whole different defensive team. So I think for us it’s just knowing each other, learning who needs help where, and then also really kind of locking in on our concepts defensively,” Shepard told Dallas Hoops Journal. “And then obviously, between Lan and Awak, we have great rim protectors at the five position.”
Offensive Comfort Building Around Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale
As Kuier continues to gain reps with the Wings, her offensive impact has grown, averaging 13.0 points over her last two games while shooting 88.9% from the floor and 80.0% from beyond the arc in 20.7 minutes per game, with back-to-back games featuring multiple made 3-pointers.
Kuier said the gravity created by Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale has opened up space for the rest of the lineup, including her own shot opportunities.
“I think it helps having Paige and Arike on the court at the same time. Those are players that tend to take a lot of attention,” Kuier said. “So that leaves me in those situations where I can really read the game and feel more comfortable. So I think that helps a lot.”
The efficiency numbers reflect that comfort. Through 7 games and 31 tracked possessions, Kuier is generating 1.323 points per possession (PPP) on Synergy — a figure that ranks in the 99th percentile leaguewide and earns an “Excellent” rating. She has shot 14-of-21 from the field overall (66.7%) with a 78.6% effective field goal percentage, including a 1.269 PPP rate on her 26 half-court possessions, which ranks in the 97th percentile.
The play-type breakdown reinforces what Kuier described. Spot-up possessions account for 29.0% of her offensive load, where she has generated 1.333 PPP on a 85.7% effective field goal mark. Pick-and-roll roll-man finishes (19.4% of her possessions) have produced 1.667 PPP on 3-of-3 shooting. Cuts and transition each account for 16.1% of her usage, both yielding 1.600 PPP.
She is doing this work within the flow of the offense — playing off the attention Bueckers and Ogunbowale command, capitalizing on her spot-up threat and finishing around the rim rather than creating her own shots. Pairing that level of offensive efficiency with her defensive versatility and interior presence is a combination most teams spend years trying to find.
Building On Atlanta Dream Performance
Sunday’s outing followed Kuier’s career performance in the Wings’ May 22 game in Atlanta, where she scored a career-high 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, becoming just the seventh player in Wings history to shoot 100% from the field while taking at least 6 attempts. She also became the first to do so while taking multiple 3-point attempts (2-of-2).
Following that performance, Kuier credited the coaching staff for emphasizing physicality as the driver of her expanded role.
“I think it was for sure just to have more length on the court. And Coach kept telling me, like, be more tougher and be more physical. So I think that was the reasoning behind that,” Kuier said postgame in Atlanta.
She also pointed to her overseas experience in Italy with Venezia and Turkey with Galatasaray as a foundation for the toughness she’s brought back to Dallas.
“I think toughness for sure. I think just playing against tough players and being in those situations where I have to guard in Europe — let’s say Emma [Meesseman] or whoever, big names — I think that helped me a lot to be ready and come here and play at the same level,” Kuier said.
The pair of efforts has cemented her as a primary frontcourt option behind Shepard and Smith in the Wings’ rotation. The Wings’ bench outscored the Liberty’s bench 38-17 on Sunday, with Kuier and Fudd combining for 34 of those 38 points.
Dallas Wings Host Las Vegas Aces Thursday
Bueckers and Fudd each scored 24 points to tie for the team lead. Ogunbowale added 19 points and 5 assists with 5 made 3-pointers, a season high. Shepard notched her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Wings (4-3) host the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, May 28, at College Park Center. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CT on Prime.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Paige Bueckers On Azzi Fudd’s Breakout Game vs. New York Liberty: ‘We Knew It Was Only A Matter Of Time’
- ‘Took It Personal’: Jose Fernandez Credits Halftime Defensive Adjustment In Dallas Wings’ 91-76 Win Over New York Liberty
- ‘Play A Little Bit Slower’: Azzi Fudd Adjusts Approach To Shatter Dallas Wings’ Rookie Record vs. New York Liberty
- Paige Bueckers Names ‘Controllables’ That Define Dallas Wings Identity After Win Over New York Liberty
- Azzi Fudd On Dallas Wings’ Selfless Culture, Earning Her Time: ‘It Doesn’t Matter If I’m Starting’
- ‘The Numbers Don’t Lie’: Azzi Fudd’s Rookie Record, Dallas Wings’ Suffocating Second Half Power 91-76 Win Over New York Liberty
- ‘Felt Like She Had 25’: Awak Kuier Shows Dynamic Potential For Dallas Wings Amid Career-High vs. Atlanta Dream
