DHJ Quick Take: The Training Camp Logistics
- The Championship Pedigree: Curt Miller emphasized the “championship DNA” of his late arrivals. With Arike Ogunbowale (China), Jessica Shepard (Italy), and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (Serbia) all coming off overseas titles, the goal is to infuse the locker room with a “win-now” disposition that complements the UConn championship culture already established by Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.
- The Visa Runway: The delay for Awak Kuier is a familiar hurdle in the WNBA calendar. While her absence during the installation of Jose Fernandez’s new system isn’t ideal for chemistry, Miller’s emphasis on her “added strength” and “increased confidence” suggests the organization views her as a vastly improved rotational asset compared to her previous stints in Arlington.
- The “Next Woman Up” Opportunities: With Costanza Verona slightly delayed and Rayah Marshall in the concussion protocol, additional training camp reps are opening up for other players. Miller’s veteran additions of Lindsay Allen, Odyssey Sims, and Alysha Clark provide a veteran floor that allows the team to remain functional and competitive even while waiting for the full roster to filter in.
- Integration Timeline: The back half of training camp will be a sprint for the Wings. With the preseason opener in Indiana on April 30, the team will have a very narrow window to integrate Ogunbowale and Shepard into live 5-on-5 sets before the results start counting toward their evaluation of the new offensive system.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller spent a portion of his 2026 Media Day availability working through the team’s late camp arrivals, providing updates on the players still working through their offseason commitments and travel logistics as the team moves through its first week of training camp.
The Wings have the bulk of their roster in the building, but a meaningful slice of the rotation is still completing overseas commitments or navigating the logistics of getting to Texas.
Three Dallas Wings Returning From Overseas Championships
On Tuesday, Miller confirmed three Wings are arriving from overseas with championships in tow. Jessica Shepard is on her way to Dallas after winning an Italian league title. Arike Ogunbowale is returning from a Chinese league championship. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu has already arrived after winning a Serbian league championship and was present at Media Day.
“Jess Shepard is arriving after her Italian league championship,” Miller said. “Arike is returning from her Chinese championship, and Dulcy has arrived from her Serbian league championship. We’re excited to have them back, especially after finishing their seasons with championships.”
Miller framed that pedigree as a meaningful locker room input as the Wings begin training camp under head coach Jose Fernandez.
“Whether it’s college championships, Final Fours, or WNBA titles, bringing that pedigree into the locker room matters,” Miller said. “Players like Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd already have chemistry and know how to play together. UConn players, in general, know how to play the right way and understand culture and effort, things you don’t have to coach.”
Ogunbowale, the Wings’ all-time leading scorer, is coming off a Chinese league title and will look to build chemistry alongside Paige Bueckers and rookie No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd before the regular season starts on May 9 on the road against the Indiana Fever. It’s a process that dates back to offseason conversations between Bueckers and Ogunbowale about building on what they established together.
“Growing up, I watched Arike—she’s one of the best scorers in the league. For her to sacrifice and embrace me coming in as a scorer and playmaker meant a lot,” Bueckers said. “We’ve talked a lot this offseason about just wanting to win. The best teams are selfless. For someone at her level to step into a leadership role and use her voice to instill confidence—that’s huge. I’m really excited about building on that.”
Shepard was one of the Wings’ headline free agency additions, brought in alongside Alanna Smith as part of Miller’s stated offseason priority of upgrading the team’s post play and adding playmaking from the frontcourt. Her arrival from the Italian league completes that pairing.
Fankam Mendjiadeu, the Cameroonian post who reunites with Fernandez after playing for him at South Florida nearly a decade ago, is the only one of the three already on site. She said at Media Day that she had been in Dallas only two days at the time and was still catching up on names, plays, and rotations.
Awak Kuier Working Through Visa Process
Miller did not provide a return date for Awak Kuier, the 2021 No. 2 overall pick who remains delayed due to the visa process after finishing her overseas season in Europe.
“There’s still no set timeline for Awak Kuier,” Miller said.
The visa-driven delay puts Kuier in a familiar position for international players reentering the United States after an overseas season. The Wings, who have already navigated similar logistical work with Alanna Smith and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu this offseason, are awaiting clearance before Kuier can travel.
Miller separately addressed the development arc that has shaped Kuier’s recent years, framing her decision to spend additional time playing overseas as one made with her long-term confidence in mind.
“The biggest thing is confidence,” Miller said. “She’s added strength and really committed to improving her game. We recruited her hard to come back, and she wanted more time to develop. Now she’s returning as a more confident and improved player, and we’re excited to have her back.”
The Finnish forward has been on the Wings’ roster for parts of the last several seasons but has prioritized overseas development cycles in recent years. The visa delay creates the same chemistry-building runway issue the Wings are working through with the rest of their overseas group, but Miller’s framing of her offseason work suggests the Wings are getting a more developed player back than the one who left.
Costanza Verona Slightly Delayed
Miller also flagged a delay for Costanza Verona, though he did not characterize the timeline as significant.
“Costanza Verona may be slightly delayed,” Miller said.
It remains to be seen what Verona’s role with the Wings ultimately will be considering how many guards are already on the roster. She’s an accomplished player in Europe, but she’ll face limited opportunity to make an impression with the team given two preseason games will result in minimal practice time this week.
Early Foundation Being Built
The Wings’ offseason was built around a meaningful free agency cycle. Miller signed Smith, Alysha Clark, Lindsay Allen, and Odyssey Sims, drafted Fudd at No. 1, and brought in additional veteran depth aimed at layering experience onto a returning young backcourt group that includes Bueckers, Fudd, Aziaha James, and second-year guard JJ Quinerly.
Most of those players were in Arlington for Media Day. The roster availability picture from a participation standpoint is not a concerning one. The Wings have functional training camp numbers, their young core is intact, and the veterans they prioritized in free agency are already setting the tone in early practices.
But the late arrivals matter for chemistry-building, particularly under a first-year head coach installing a new offensive system. Allen acknowledged as much during her own Media Day availability.
“This first week has been good for us to learn each other and learn the system that Jose wants to run, and just get live reps in it,” Allen said. “We have players coming back from overseas, so getting them integrated is important too. But it’s really about constant communication, constant talking, asking questions, and figuring it out.”
Fernandez framed the depth of the Wings’ rotation as one of the things that excites him most about the roster, but the depth itself is contingent on the late arrivals integrating cleanly into the system across the back half of training camp and the preseason slate.
“It’s a talented group, but what excites me most is our depth,” Fernandez said. “You can mention Paige, Azzi, and Arike, but we also have players like Aziaha James, Maddy Siegrist, Odyssey Sims, Alysha Clark, Jessica Shepard, and others. We have a lot of options and can play in different ways.”
Other Availability Notes
Second-year center Rayah Marshall is in the WNBA’s concussion protocol and did not speak at Media Day. Quinerly also did not speak Media Day but is scheduled to speak with reporters Tuesday.
Up Next
The Wings open their preseason slate on Thursday against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Ogunbowale and Shepard are expected to integrate into camp within the coming days, and Quinerly is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the team’s practice in Arlington.
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