‘Preparing to Be in the Playoffs’: Diamond Miller Settling Into Role With Dallas Wings

Diamond Miller’s introduction to the Dallas Wings has been a sprint. Traded midseason from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for DiJonai Carrington, the 6-foot-3 guard-forward joined her new team during a road swing that sent her from Seattle to Minneapolis to Dallas and then to New York in just two days.

She made her debut against the defending champion New York Liberty after only a shootaround, still learning the system on the fly.

Thursday at College Park Center marked her first full practice with the Wings — an opportunity to slow things down, absorb terminology, and build chemistry with her new teammates.

What the Team Expects of Diamond — and How She Sees Her Role

For general manager Curt Miller, acquiring Diamond was about adding length, shooting, and versatility to a wing rotation that had been undersized much of the season.

“She’s having a great year shooting the ball — you see the growth in her percentages,” Curt Miller said. “She’s smart, she’s got great size. Tonight was a good example of why that matters. You’re playing teams with great length at the wing, and we’ve been small. We’ve asked Paige to guard some of the bigger wings in the league this year. So Diamond’s size could be really beneficial to us.

“I just think she’s scratching the surface. She has an opportunity for more minutes here. But it’s going to take a little time. She traveled to Seattle, then to Minneapolis, then Dallas, and now to New York — all in two days. She was asked to play without really knowing the system. That’s hard for anyone, especially getting involved in midseason trades. But she’s a pro. She’s excited about the opportunity, and we’re excited to have her.”

Miller shares that excitement about what she can bring. She said her size and mobility allow her to contribute in multiple areas — from running the floor to stretching defenses.

“Bringing in some defense, running the floor well, shooting threes, and attacking the rim,” Miller said. “When I feel like I have the opportunity to attack, they’re allowing me to, so that’s exciting. Making good game reads is important, especially playing in a fast-paced offense — making the right decision in those quick seconds when you have the chance.”

Her shooting has been a point of emphasis this season.

“My three-point shot has gotten much better, and now I’m shooting better,” she said. “Taking more reps will also be really nice.”

Takeaways From Her First Game and Joining the Team Midseason

Miller’s debut came in New York earlier this week, giving her a quick look at how the Wings operate in real time. While the stat sheet didn’t tell the full story, she said the pace and flow of the game stood out.

“I actually really like it here,” Miller said. “It’s a lot of fun, and just getting to know the girls has been exciting, and seeing how we’re jelling is really cool. Honestly, just seeing how free-flowing it is and seeing that it is a lot of fun. It’s more free-flowing, so there are more opportunities to be aggressive and confident with whatever you decide.”

The circumstances of joining the team were unusual — little practice time, immediate travel, and a game against one of the league’s best teams.

“Honestly, it’s been okay,” Miller said. “As a basketball player and an athlete, you learn to adapt, and that’s what happened to me. I’m adapting.”

Her veteran teammate Myisha Hines-Allen, who also played with her in Minnesota last season, said Miller has shown poise despite the rapid transition.

“I think the biggest thing just from today is she has a voice,” Hines-Allen said. “She’s coming from a winning culture, so she has a voice. Little things that she sees — just making her feel comfortable enough to speak up. People listen. Allowing her to use her voice and give us her knowledge — because she has some great thoughts that make sense — can help us in the long run too.”

First Practice in Dallas and Building a Playoff Mentality

Thursday’s practice allowed Miller to finally work through Dallas’ playbook and defensive schemes without the pressure of immediate game action.

Head coach Chris Koclanes said the focus was on integrating her into the team’s system.

“Just getting her more comfortable with her teammates and with our terminology and schemes defensively,” Koclanes said. “Offensively, the spacing and the actions we like to play out.”

Miller said the session was a turning point in her adjustment.

“Today was so much better just because their concepts and terminology are much different from where I was at,” she said. “Adjusting to the different terminology and the playing style is so different. I’m figuring out how I fit and where my spots are.”

Dallas Wings Focused on Playoff Contention

The next test comes on Friday when Dallas faces the Liberty again — their second meeting in four days. Miller sees it as a chance to prepare for a playoff-type setting.

“We’re preparing to be in the playoffs, so this is another example to help us when you’re in a series,” she said. “I think we’re 1-1, so this is to win the series now. It’s going to be a very important game, and we’re excited for tomorrow.”

Hines-Allen said that mentality is exactly what the Wings need.

“See, I told you she’s got good stuff,” she said. “That’s the mentality you want to hear from someone who just got here. When you talk playoffs, you’re already locked in on the bigger picture. It’s about bringing that urgency now, not waiting until later.”

With only a handful of games left, Miller said the group’s mindset is on finishing strong.

“We had a good team meeting today to get the fundamentals of what the team is and what we see in Wings basketball,” she said. “That was very helpful, and we’re tightening it up to have a good stretch in these last couple of games where we want to make the playoffs.”

The Wings (8-22) host the Liberty (19-10) on Friday night at College Park Center, with tipoff set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ION.

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