DHJ Quick Take: The Preseason Lens
- The Fudd-Bueckers Debut: The April 30 matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Indiana Fever is effectively the “Opening Night” for the Wings‘ new era. Seeing Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers share a backcourt against Caitlin Clark—the league’s most potent ratings driver—is a calculated move by the WNBA to maximize early-season momentum.
- Austin’s National Stage: Hosting the Las Vegas Aces at Moody Center on May 3 isn’t just a neutral-site game; it’s a national broadcast on ION. By placing A’ja Wilson and the Aces in front of a Texas crowd on a Friday night, the league is leaning into the Wings‘ expanded geographic footprint.
- The Ratings Leap: Landing 36 national games in the regular season (second only to the Indiana Fever‘s 44) signals a total rebranding of the Wings. The roster overhaul under Jose Fernandez, featuring Alanna Smith and a returning Jessica Shepard, has transformed a 10-win team into a premier media asset.
- Accessibility is King: The move to stream the entire preseason on WNBA League Pass and the WNBA App for free (with a WNBA ID) removes the barrier to entry for new fans attracted by the UConn reunion. For local fans, the continued presence of KFAA 29 ensures that even the high-profile national simulcasts remain accessible for free, over-the-air.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings are the most-featured team on the WNBA’s 2026 preseason national broadcast schedule.
The league announced preseason broadcast selections on Wednesday. Dallas headlines two of the four nationally televised games. That’s half of the preseason slate, on a franchise that finished 10-34 last year.
April 30 at Indiana Fever. First WNBA look at the Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd backcourt. Tip-off 6 p.m. CT on ION.
May 3 vs. Las Vegas Aces at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Dallas hosts the Aces in a neutral-site game at the University of Texas’s arena. Tip-off 6 p.m. CT on ION.
Why Two Games
The draw is obvious. No. 1 overall pick Fudd, reuniting with the reigning Rookie of the Year Bueckers. A retooled roster under first-year head coach Jose Fernandez. A frontcourt built around Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, Awak Kuier, Li Yueru, and Maddy Siegrist. The preseason is where fans get the first live look at all of it.
Opening in Indiana matters for the opponent, too. Caitlin Clark and the Fever drew the league’s strongest ratings in 2025. Adding Bueckers and Fudd on the visiting side creates one of the most-anticipated preseason broadcasts the WNBA has put together.
The Aces game in Austin brings A’ja Wilson and the most recent dynasty-era roster into Texas for a night. It’s also the Wings’ first game at Moody Center. Dallas has been building its Texas market reach since the Bueckers pick last April.
Robust National Regular-Season Package
The preseason broadcast news follows Tuesday’s regular-season schedule reveal. Dallas landed national network coverage for 36 of its 44 regular-season games, an enormous jump in visibility compared to where the franchise stood two years ago.
Second-year local broadcast partner KFAA will carry 24 regular-season games. Sixteen of those will air alongside national partners, giving local viewers simulcast access to most of the high-profile matchups.
How to Watch and Attend
All preseason games will also stream on WNBA League Pass. Fans can stream the games free on the WNBA App by signing up or logging in with a WNBA ID to unlock the preseason preview. This marks the second consecutive year the entire preseason slate will be available to fans.
A limited number of tickets remain for the Wings-Aces matchup at Moody Center in Austin on May 3. Visit ticketmaster.com for more information.
Camp Context
Dallas is in the opening stretch of training camp at College Park Center, with 20 players on the roster and five still arriving from overseas commitments. Arike Ogunbowale, Shepard, Kuier, Costanza Verona, and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu are all late arrivals. The regular season opens May 9 on the road at Indiana.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- WATCH: Dallas Wings 5-on-5 Action From Training Camp Day 3
- Why Jose Fernandez Views Dallas Wings’ First Off Day As A Test, Eyes Thursday’s Day 5 Response
- Dallas Wings Set For Second-Most Nationally Televised WNBA Games In 2026
- Dallas Wings Unveil 2026 Broadcast Schedule With KFAA Returning As Local Television Home
- Dallas Wings Waive Shyanne Sellers, Grace Sullivan As Training Camp Roster Trims To 20
- ‘She’s Going To Be Special’: Inside Azzi Fudd’s Early Impression At Dallas Wings Training Camp
- ‘She’s A Pro’: Paige Bueckers Is Built Different In Year 2, And Jose Fernandez Says It Will Show In Clutch Time
- ‘A Bright Future’: Alanna Smith Details Picking Dallas Wings In Free Agency, Expanding Her Game
- ‘A Dream Come True’: Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd Realize Decade-Long Journey To Dallas Wings Backcourt
- ‘She Better Shoot The Damn Ball’: Jose Fernandez Challenges Azzi Fudd On Day 1 Of Training Camp
- ‘Landed Where I Was Meant to Be’: Azzi Fudd Introduced By Dallas Wings, Embraces New Journey
- Exclusive: Curt Miller On The ‘New-Look’ Dallas Wings, Frontcourt Chemistry, And Azzi Fudd’s Elite Ceiling
