DHJ Quick Take: The Jessica Shepard Addition
- The Arrival: Jessica Shepard arrives in Austin fresh off a Serie A1 championship with Beretta Famila Schio. Her dominance in Europe—ranking first in Euroleague rebounding (9.5) and double-doubles—gives the Wings a frontcourt piece playing at a world-class level.
- The “Point-Forward” Utility: Both Paige Bueckers and Curt Miller identified Shepard as one of the best passing bigs in the league. Her ability to operate as a facilitator at the four allows Jose Fernandez to diversify his offensive sets.
- Notre Dame Connection: The debut marks a professional reunion with Arike Ogunbowale (though Arike is out tonight). Their history at Notre Dame, including the 2018 NCAA title, provides a foundational chemistry that the Wings hope to leverage for a deep postseason run.
- The Minnesota Link: Shepard‘s most natural on-court fit is with reigning DPOY Alanna Smith. Their shared history in Minnesota—where Shepard averaged a double-double during Napheesa Collier‘s absence—suggests the Wings‘ new frontcourt will have a shorter learning curve than most.
AUSTIN — Jessica Shepard is set to make her Dallas Wings debut Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces at the Moody Center after returning to the United States from a championship-winning season in Italy with Beretta Famila Schio.
Head coach Jose Fernandez confirmed at Sunday morning’s shootaround that Shepard will play.
“Shepherd will play tonight, how many minutes, we’ll see,” Fernandez told Dallas Hoops Journal. “She just got back after winning in Italy.”
The 6-foot-4 forward signed with Dallas in free agency in February on a multi-year deal. She joins the Wings off a 34-10 campaign with the Minnesota Lynx in 2025, where she averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 40 games while shooting a WNBA-best 63.8% from the field.
Across five WNBA seasons and 125 games with Minnesota, Shepard averaged 6.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 53.5% from the field, the ninth-best career mark among all players since the 2019 season with at least 300 made field goals.
Jessica Shepard’s Own Read on the Move to Dallas
Shepard pointed to the assembly of young talent on the roster, the playmaking partnership available with reigning WNBA All-Star Paige Bueckers, and the reunion with former Notre Dame teammate Arike Ogunbowale as reasons she was excited to debut in Dallas.
“I’m super excited to be here, first off in Dallas. I think they did a great job assembling this team. There are some young players who are super talented,” Shepard told Dallas Hoops Journal. “Paige is one of those players everyone wants to play with because of her playmaking and scoring ability. She’s already shown how good she is. And being back with Arike, obviously, we played together in college and have a great relationship, so I’m excited for that as well.”
Shepard and Ogunbowale played two seasons together at Notre Dame from 2017 to 2019, making back-to-back trips to the National Championship game and winning the 2018 NCAA title. Ogunbowale is officially out for Sunday with a right ankle injury.
A Minnesota Connection Continues With Alanna Smith
Shepard isolated her on-court chemistry with Alanna Smith as one of the most natural fits in the new roster. The two played together in Minnesota and shared significant frontcourt minutes during the stretch that Napheesa Collier missed in 2025, when Shepard’s production climbed to 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over 10 games.
“Alanna and I played extended minutes together last year when Phee was hurt, so we have a great connection on the court, both defensively and offensively,” Shepard told Dallas Hoops Journal. “I think both of us played some of our best basketball when we were on the floor together, so I’m excited for the opportunity to do that over a full season.”
Smith, the reigning WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, located Shepard’s value across the same partnership stretch in her own training camp comments.
“Jess is one of the most underrated players in the league. Her IQ and the way she can play in space is unbelievable,” Smith told Dallas Hoops Journal. “She’s going to bring that to this team, along with the ability to distribute and score for herself. She had a triple-double with Minnesota last year, and I think she can get multiple of those in a season.”
Smith was upgraded to available after being initially listed as questionable with a left quad injury for Sunday’s game.
A Mobile Post Who Wants the Ball
Shepard self-identified as one of the more mobile posts in the WNBA and named ball-handling as the specific skill she wants to lean on in Dallas.
“I love having the ball in my hands. I think I’m one of the more mobile posts in the league, so being able to use the ball to create for others is something I enjoy,” Shepard told Dallas Hoops Journal.
Bueckers framed Shepard’s playmaking in similar terms.
“Jess is one of the best playmakers in the league at the four,” Bueckers told Dallas Hoops Journal.
General manager Curt Miller identified Shepard’s offensive versatility, passing skill, rim scoring, and basketball IQ as the specific traits the Wings prioritized in free agency, and pointed to her fit alongside Dallas’s young core as a central reason for the move.
“She was a priority for us in free agency because of her versatility offensively. She is a fantastic passer and facilitator, along with being an incredible scorer around the rim,” Miller said. “We were also drawn to her because of her high basketball IQ, which we can’t wait to pair with our exciting young core of players.”
Jose Fernandez Wants to Find Her Comfort Zone
Fernandez named passing, rim finishing, and back-line defensive communication as the specific traits he plans to feature from Shepard’s game while she gets her footing in the Wings’ system.
“She’s been a pleasure. I want to put her in positions where she feels comfortable. She just got back after winning in Italy,” Fernandez told Dallas Hoops Journal “I like that she can pass, finish around the rim, and communicate defensively, especially in the back line. I’m just looking forward to getting our entire group together, that’s what I’m most excited about.”
Shepard framed her career so far as a study in adapting around stars and identified Fernandez’s planned use of her as a meaningful departure from how she has been deployed in the past.
“Everything. I’m a player who, in this league so far, has always found my own way because I’ve played alongside great players. I still do,” Shepard told Dallas Hoops Journal. “I think he’s going to utilize me offensively in a way that’s different from what I’ve had in the past, so I’m excited about that.”
Shepard is eager to see how Dallas’s overhauled roster will translate to wins and pointed to Fernandez’s standards as the factor that gives her confidence in the team’s ceiling.
“We’re going to find out. Right now, you’re adding pieces day by day, so there’s a lot of adjusting,” Shepard told Dallas Hoops Journal. “But I think coach will do a great job of getting us to work together. His standards are really high, and I think he’ll pull the best out of us.”
A Championship Season in Italy
Shepard spent the WNBA offseason with Beretta Famila Schio, where she helped the club to a Serie A1 championship. She averaged 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals across 20 Italian league games while shooting 67% from 3-point range.
In 15 Euroleague games, Shepard finished second overall in scoring at 17.0 points per game and ranked first among all players in rebounding (9.5), double-doubles (six), and efficiency. While playing in Greece in 2025, she swept All-Greek A1 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, First Team, and All-Defensive Team honors.
Italian guard Costanza Verona also returns from the Schio championship run and is set for her own Wings debut Sunday. Verona was Shepard’s teammate on Beretta Famila Schio during the title run.
Up Next
The Wings tip off against the Las Vegas Aces at 6 p.m. CT Sunday at the Moody Center in Austin, with national coverage on ION. Dallas opens the regular season May 9 in Indianapolis against the Indiana Fever.
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