DHJ Quick Take: The Mental Reset
- The Thursday Read: Jose Fernandez is less interested in physical rest and more in “mental retention.” By framing Thursday (Day 5) as the true test, he is challenging the 15-player active group to prove that the on-court reps and defensive principles instilled over the first three days have become second-nature behaviors.
- The USA Basketball Influence: The connection Fernandez drew between Paige Bueckers and Team USA veterans is an interesting leadership nugget from camp. While she already had strong habits from UConn, Bueckers learned even more through “professional osmosis” alongside champions like Chelsea Gray during the FIBA World Cup qualifier in Puerto Rico.
- Roster Trimming Underway: The waiving of Shyanne Sellers and Grace Sullivan on Wednesday (Day 4) confirms the intensity Fernandez mentioned. By trimming the roster to 20 while still waiting on five players from overseason obligations, the staff is working toward making decisions to form the final roster.
- The Late Arrival Bridge: With Arike Ogunbowale‘s WCBA finals ending this weekend and the Schio duo of Jessica Shepard and Costanza Verona in the middle of a Best-of-3 series in Italy, the current group could look different soon.
ARLINGTON, Texas — After three consecutive days of installation, standards-setting, and a defense-heavy final practice to begin Dallas Wings training camp, head coach Jose Fernandez views Wednesday’s off day as a valuable test for his players.
Fernandez emphasized on Day 3 that the way his group comes back on Thursday will give him his first real read on how much lasting impact everything that’s been established will have.
“They’re off tomorrow, so now it’s about how they come back physically, mentally, and emotionally after that first off day,” Fernandez told reporters after Day 3. “We’ll see what we’ve built over these first three days from a standards and preparation standpoint when we get to Day 4.”
‘Very Good’ Day 3
Fernandez began his Day 3 availability by framing Tuesday as the day he was most interested in seeing how his group would respond to the grind of going hard for three consecutive days. The team finished it off with competitive 5-on-5 action, showing the early signs of building on-court chemistry.
“I’ve lost my voice a little bit. It’s Day 3,” Fernandez said. “This was the day where I was really thinking about how they were going to come out and work, and I think that’s a sign of a good day. It was a very good day.”
Dallas has progressively gotten better through the opening three days, Fernandez said. Finding value in every practice will add up throughout a 44-game season.
“You look back at Day 1, Day 2, and we’re progressively getting better each day,” Fernandez said. “That’s the expectation. Every practice, every possession means something. There’s value in every single one.”
Building Standards
Fernandez has appreciated his players’ effort so far in training camp. He has repeatedly emphasized he has no interest in coaching effort at the professional level, and hasn’t had to with this group. He views this team as a roster full of players who want a culture of accountability and want to be coached, and that kind of player-driven accountability is what keeps standards intact as the culture gets built.
“No one should ever question your effort as a pro. No one should ever question how you communicate and talk to one another, how you treat people,” Fernandez told Dallas Hoops Journal. “This has been a really enjoyable group to be around. They hold each other accountable. They want to be coached. They lead each other. It’s been really, really good, and I’m excited about that.”
The championship mentality framing has run through every media session with Fernandez since Day 1. He connected it directly to the daily habits he’s watching for.
“You have to think that way. The way you work, how you prepare, how you lift, how you work with player development, how you watch film, it all matters,” Fernandez said. “I didn’t leave the situation I had in college just to take a WNBA job. I came to Dallas to do something special with a great group and represent this organization in a first-class way. I came here to win. I came here to win.”
The idea is that it’s vital for players to take advantage of recovery windows, even on an off day, study film, and stay mentally locked in so that the return to practice doesn’t feel like a reset. Fernandez is looking forward to seeing how this team handles that first test.
Early Examples
A player Fernandez sees as exemplifying these traits is Paige Bueckers. He already gained an early perspective when spending over two weeks with USA Basketball as Bueckers competed with the group at the FIBA World Cup qualifier in Puerto Rico. He got a close look at how the reigning Rookie of the Year approached practices and games, while getting to know her more. What stood out? Leadership.
“You also see it in Paige. Taking care of her body, getting extra work in, being early, staying late. That’s the standard,” Fernandez said. “I was fortunate to spend about two and a half weeks with USA Basketball, and she just does the right things. She leads, she connects, and she wants to be coached. She wants to take ownership.”
Fernandez pointed to veteran habits as the model he wants younger players to absorb, using a story from his time with Bueckers at USA Basketball in March as the example. Bueckers, he said, learned from veteran Chelsea Gray in that environment, whom she had mentioned before joining the team as someone she wanted to learn from.
“When I walked in in the morning, Chelsea Gray was the first one getting treatment. She was there at breakfast. She’s dialed in on scouting,” Fernandez said. “That’s why she’s so successful. A lot of players, even in college, don’t understand what it takes. Taking care of your body, investing in the extra work, being mentally locked in with the playbook and preparation.”
On Day 2, Fernandez singled out Maddy Siegrist and Aziaha James as the two players who showed up in the best shape, and he tied it directly to the offseason reps both logged. Siegrist played in Unrivaled, and James was part of the Unrivaled player pool before being added to Phantom BC‘s roster late in the season.
“Maddy and Aziaha, Unrivaled was really good for them,” Fernandez told Dallas Hoops Journal. “They came in in tip-top shape. You can really tell who played in the offseason, whether it’s AU or Unrivaled, based on their conditioning.”
The Message is Resonating
The players are already experiencing the impact of the Wings’ new coaching staff as the foundation for a winning culture is being built at College Park Center.
James has already described what the staff has been demanding in the same language that Fernandez will be watching for on Thursday. The second-year guard described the coaching staff valuing a high level of attention to detail in every possession and huddle.
“They want the best out of you. Every effort, every play, every possession. They push you to be at your best and beyond that,” James told Dallas Hoops Journal. “Coach is always talking about being a championship team. How we show up every day, in every possession, in every huddle. Setting that standard this early, you can already tell what kind of team we’re trying to be.”
Grace Berger put it the same way, emphasizing standards needing to be at a championship level on a daily basis for the Wings to achieve their goals.
“It’s all about standards. Everything we do has to be at a championship level. How we warm up, how we stretch, what we wear, how we carry ourselves,” Berger told Dallas Hoops Journal. “Holding ourselves to a high standard in everything, on and off the court, that’s what’s going to lead to winning games.”
Berger also described Day 3 itself as a test in its own right, with the group coming off tired legs late in the opening stretch of camp.
“It’s our third day, so obviously legs are a little tired. Coach didn’t want us coming in with a lack of energy, and I felt like we did a good job setting the tone early with our voices. Cheering each other on and pumping each other up,” Berger told Dallas Hoops Journal.
After a few roster cuts, the Thursday group will still be 15 players deep. Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard, Awak Kuier, Costanza Verona, and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu are all finishing up their overseas commitments before joining camp.
The Wings start a two-game preseason slate on April 30 on the road against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The regular season starts for Dallas in the same building on May 9.
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