DHJ Quick Take: The Evolution of Awak Kuier
- Elite Two-Way Growth: Awak Kuier returns to Arlington as a completely different player than the 19-year-old prospect who left in 2023. Fresh off being named a EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year finalist with Galatasaray, the 6-foot-6 Finnish center averaged 12.8 points and led the league in blocks, adding a lethal 40.9% three-point stroke to her arsenal.
- Frontcourt Reinforcement: Following the loss of Luisa Geiselsöder and Haley Jones to the Portland Fire, Kuier’s return provides Curt Miller with a mobile, shot-blocking anchor. Her ability to space the floor makes her a perfect tactical partner for Li Yueru and the incoming No. 1 overall pick in Sunday’s WNBA Draft.
- Cap Management: This signing follows a strategic trade of Diamond Miller to the Connecticut Sun for Rayah Marshall, a move that cleared over $259,000 in salary. Under the new $7 million salary cap, these maneuvers give Dallas the flexibility to navigate Arike Ogunbowale’s $1.4 million supermax core offer while building a deep, modern roster around Paige Bueckers.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings are re-signing center Awak Kuier, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal. The 6-foot-6 Finnish-Egyptian big returns to Dallas after three seasons developing overseas, arriving as a significantly more polished player than the 19-year-old who left North Texas following the 2023 season.
The signing is the latest in a rapid series of roster moves as the Wings work to construct a contending roster around Paige Bueckers ahead of one of the most anticipated offseasons in franchise history.
A Different Player Returns
Kuier was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft — the Wings making her the first player from Finland to appear in the league — but her initial tenure in Dallas was defined by age and limited opportunity. Coming off the bench across three seasons, she averaged 2.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 11.1 minutes per game before returning to Europe following the 2023 campaign.
The raw tools were always evident. The question was whether the development would follow.
It did.
Kuier spent the 2025-26 season with Galatasaray in Turkey, averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 59.3% from the field and 40.9% from three over 24 games. Her Euroleague numbers were even more striking — 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 65.4% overall across 17 games.
She led the Euroleague in blocks, finished second in double-doubles with five, and ranked fifth in efficiency and sixth in field goal percentage.
The accolades accumulated steadily throughout her time abroad. Kuier earned All-Turkish League Third Team recognition in 2026, All-Europeans Honorable Mention and All-Italian League First Team and All-Defensive Team honors in 2025, Italian League Finals MVP and All-Italian League Second Team in 2024, and an All-Italian A1 Honorable Mention in 2023.
She won the Italian Serie A1 Championship in 2024 after finishing runner-up in both 2023 and 2025, and was part of a Galatasaray squad that reached the KBSL Finals this past season.
What Awak Kuier Brings to the Dallas Wings
The Wings are getting a player general manager Curt Miller flagged as one of the most exciting pieces of this rebuild as far back as last August, even while she was still overseas.
“We do like the youth that we’re adding and have available,” Miller said in August. “Even the fact that no one talks about Awak Kuier anymore — and such a young, dynamic piece that’s a part of our future also — is just exciting to think about.”
That two-way profile is what makes Kuier such a compelling addition. Her combination of length, shot-blocking, and shooting range — over 40% from three in Turkish league play — gives Dallas a frontcourt piece with a genuinely unique profile. At 24 years old, she is arriving at what should be the front end of her prime, with a skill set refined against high-level European competition for three consecutive seasons.
For a Wings roster still taking shape around Bueckers and the No. 1 overall pick in the April 13 draft, adding a proven two-way big with legitimate upside is exactly the kind of move this offseason called for.
A Busy Offseason for the Dallas Wings
The Kuier signing is one of several moves the Wings have made as the roster takes shape ahead of the 2026 season. Dallas has been active on multiple fronts since the final buzzer of the 2025 campaign.
The offseason began with difficult news. The Portland Fire selected forward Luisa Geiselsöder and guard/forward Haley Jones in last week’s WNBA Expansion Draft, stripping two rotation contributors from the Wings’ roster. Geiselsöder, who made her WNBA debut in 2025 after being drafted by Dallas in 2020, averaged 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 28 games. Jones averaged career bests of 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.8 steals across 24 appearances.
On the retention front, center Li Yueru and guard Grace Berger have both accepted qualifying offers from Dallas, keeping two pieces of last season’s rotation in the fold as restricted free agents. Yueru averaged 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 22 games after arriving via midseason trade from the Seattle Storm. Berger, who signed a hardship contract last July before inking a rest-of-season deal, averaged 3.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 18 games while setting career bests in the latter two categories.
Guard Arike Ogunbowale received a core designation from Dallas, giving the franchise exclusive negotiating rights over its all-time leading scorer. The designation comes with a supermax qualifying offer of $1.4 million and locks out the rest of the league from making a competing offer.
In a separate transaction, Dallas traded forward Diamond Miller to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for center/forward Rayah Marshall. The move was primarily financial — Miller carried an unprotected rookie contract worth $536,588, while Marshall’s deal comes in at $277,500, resulting in savings of at least $259,088. Should Dallas make an additional move involving Marshall, the Wings could clear Miller’s full salary from the books entirely, creating further flexibility heading into free agency.
What This Signing Says About the Dallas Wings’ Direction
The Wings drafted Kuier on projection, but are re-signing her on production. Dallas is not betting on a developmental prospect — they are bringing back a player who has done the work, earned the hardware, and demonstrated she can be an impactful force at the professional level.
The version of Kuier returning to North Texas is not the teenager who logged spot minutes off the bench. She is a two-way center who led one of Europe’s premier competitions in blocks, shot nearly 60% from the field, and added a credible three-point threat — a profile that fits precisely what the Wings need as they build toward contention under the new CBA.
Up Next for the Dallas Wings
Dallas holds the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft on Sunday, April 13, along with the No. 31 overall selection.
The Wings open the 2026 season on the road against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 9, at noon CT, before making their home debut at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. against the Atlanta Dream.
More Wings & WNBA Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Dallas Wings Trade Diamond Miller To Connecticut Sun, Acquire Rayah Marshall In Salary-Clearing Move
- Dallas Wings Extend Core Offer To Arike Ogunbowale, Qualifying Offers To Li Yueru And Grace Berger
- Portland Fire Select Luisa Geiselsöder, Haley Jones From Dallas Wings In 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft
- ‘She’s A Connector’: Dallas Wings Star Paige Bueckers Was Given Key Team USA Advice By Sue Bird
- ‘We Have A Chip On Our Shoulder’: Dallas Wings Star Paige Bueckers Shares Goals For USA Basketball Senior Debut
- Paige Bueckers Says Jose Fernandez ‘Has A Good Plan’ For The Dallas Wings
