DHJ Quick Take: The EuroLeague Edge
- The “Schio” Connection: Verona arrives with championship DNA, having won five Italian Cups with Schio. Her familiarity with Jessica Shepard—who she played alongside in Italy—provides an immediate “chemistry bridge” that most training camp invitees lack.
- The Jose Fernandez Factor: Jose Fernandez has long been known as a recruiter of international talent. Verona’s decision to choose Dallas was specifically influenced by his track record with European players, suggesting the Wings are building a “global” offensive system designed to leverage high-IQ playmaking.
- A Crowded Backcourt: Verona’s path to the top 12 is steep. She enters a rotation featuring Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd. However, her identity as a “pass-first” initiator (3.5 APG in FIBA qualifying) offers a different look than the scoring-heavy profiles of JJ Quinerly or Shyanne Sellers.
- Mental Toughness: Her comments about being “used to fighting to be seen” align with the “high-character” mandate Miller has set for this offseason. She isn’t just a depth piece; she is a veteran leader who has already punched Italy’s ticket to the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Costanza Verona is packing Sicilian oranges, a bag full of books, and a competitive fire that has defined her career across Europe’s most elite stages. The Italian Women’s National Team starting point guard is headed to the Dallas Wings, and she has no intention of being a tourist.
“I can’t tell you how happy and excited I am about this new adventure in my professional life,” Verona told Italian outlet Pianeta Basket. “I’m super excited and can’t wait to leave. I’ve started completing all the necessary paperwork to be there as soon as possible.”
The Goal Is Clear
Verona was direct about her expectations for herself when she arrived at Wings training camp, which opens April 16.
“Since I was little, I’ve been used to fighting to be seen, and once they’ve seen me, to confirm myself at a certain level,” Verona said. “It’s easy to say I’ll do everything to earn a spot in the team’s top 12. I expect my usual desire to do everything to achieve my goal. It’s a different world, a different culture, and the level is high, but that doesn’t scare me — on the contrary, it fuels me.”
That mindset has served her well throughout a professional career that began in Italy’s Serie A1 in 2018. Verona has spent the last five seasons with EuroLeague powerhouse Schio — one of European women’s basketball’s most decorated clubs — winning five Italian Cups (2022-2026) and three Italian Supercups (2022, 2023, 2026) while posting averages of 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this season. At the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico in March, she led Italy in assists at 3.5 per game across five games as the Italians secured their spot in the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
The Jose Fernandez Connection
Verona identified head coach Jose Fernandez as a key factor in her decision to accept the challenge.
“Dallas coach José Fernandez coached the University of South Florida for many years and has always had many European players,” Verona said. “This is another reason that convinced me to accept this challenge. And then, after many years in the EuroLeague, I know many American players who have come to Europe and many Europeans who have gone the other way. I think it’s very nice that the WNBA has been giving space to European players for a few years now — it will be an advantage for me.”
Fernandez’s comfort with international talent has been a hallmark of his coaching career, and it has shaped the Wings’ roster construction this offseason from top to bottom. Verona is among a group of training camp invitees with deep professional experience outside the United States — a deliberate pattern rather than a coincidence.
She also noted that four of her Schio teammates — including Jessica Shepard, who signed a multi-year deal with Dallas this offseason — have WNBA experience and have already offered guidance.
“They’re also very happy with this call and will certainly help me immediately and best understand the environment I’ll find,” Verona said. “I’m leaving with a good bag of ideas and suggestions.”
The Backcourt Competition
Verona’s path to the top 12 runs through one of the most crowded backcourts in the league. The Wings return Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, and Grace Berger alongside their headlining perimeter trio of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd. Veteran guard Lindsey Allen and Shyanne Sellers — who averaged a team-high 21.9 points per game for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa this past season — are also competing for spots.
Verona’s profile as a pass-first point guard with EuroLeague-caliber experience gives her a distinct identity in that group. But the organizational emphasis Fernandez and general manager Curt Miller have placed on depth and competition throughout this offseason means nothing will be handed to anyone. She’ll have to earn it from the first day of camp.
A Busy Road Ahead
Verona’s schedule between now and the Wings’ season opener against the Indiana Fever on May 9 is unforgiving. She is still competing with Schio in the Italian Scudetto finals and will join the Wings as soon as that series concludes.
“I have a busy schedule — the Scudetto, the spot in Dallas, and then the World Cup with the national team,” Verona said. “The sooner I arrive, the more time I’ll have to earn my place in the team.”
She’ll be arriving in Dallas as part of a training camp group that also includes forward Amy Okonkwo, guard Shyanne Sellers, forward/center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, center Kyla Oldacre, and forward Grace Sullivan — all competing for roster spots on a Wings team that has been comprehensively rebuilt around Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd this offseason.
As for what she’s bringing from home?
“First of all, I’m stocking up on books,” Verona said. “I’ll bring food from Sicily, good things to eat. I’m thinking of the oranges from the tree at home — my mom brings me a bag full every time she comes to Schio.”
The Wings start the regular season against the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, May 9, at 12 p.m. CT.
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