Jose Fernandez Focuses On Defense, Ball Movement As Dallas Wings Eye Las Vegas Aces Sweep

LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Wings will try to finish off a season sweep of the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena, and coach Jose Fernandez framed the third meeting almost entirely around what his team does on the defensive end.

Dallas (11-6) has beaten Las Vegas (12-5) twice already in 2026, including a 96-66 win on June 15, and Fernandez said he expects a new defensive plan from the Aces in the third matchup.

Expecting a New Defensive Look

Fernandez said the Aces could change their pick-and-roll coverages, try to take the ball out of the Wings’ primary scorers’ hands, or mix in some zone after dropping the first two meetings.

“I’m sure we’ll have to adjust to anything they’re going to do differently defensively, whether it’s their pick-and-roll coverages, taking the ball out of some of our players’ hands, or maybe using some different schemes, including playing some zone,” Fernandez said.

He added that the answer is not changing the way Dallas plays.

“For us, it’s not about changing who we are offensively. We know what we need to do on the defensive end. We’ve got to be able to guard one-on-one, guard the three-point arc, and do a phenomenal job on A’ja,” Fernandez said, referring to Aces star A’ja Wilson.

Living in Close Finishes

Dallas has closed out each of its last two games in the final seconds, including a 112-110 overtime win at Seattle on Monday. Asked what he has liked about how his team has handled those situations, Fernandez was dry about it.

“It’d be a lot better if we weren’t in those exciting positions at the end of the game,” Fernandez said.

He said the tight finishes still teach him something about his group.

“You learn a lot about your team individually and collectively, not only in losses but also in wins. I think if we had done a lot of things differently in those previous 38 minutes, it wouldn’t have come down to that,” Fernandez said.

Cleaning Up the Defense

Pressed on what he wants done better before the close moments arrive, Fernandez pointed to the Wings’ half-court defense and their work against Seattle’s perimeter shooting.

“We’ve just got to guard better. We’ve got to defend better in the slot, defend better on the side, and I didn’t think we defended the three-point arc against Seattle particularly well, especially against their post players,” Fernandez said.

Spacing Drives the Offense

Turning to the other end, Fernandez explained why guards who can beat their defenders off the dribble matter so much within the Wings’ system.

“It’s big. Everything in our offense is predicated on spacing—making sure we’ve got the corners and the slots filled and flowing into different actions as the ball comes to you,” Fernandez said.

He said Dallas is at its best when the ball reaches the back side of the floor.

“When we’re playing with great pace and great flow, and the ball gets to the second and third side, we’re really good. When the ball gets paint touches or inside-out touches, we’re really effective,” Fernandez said.

The opposite, he said, is when the offense stalls.

“When we get stagnant and there’s no ball movement or player movement, and you’ve got two players playing while the other three are watching from the opposite side, with no backside cutting, we’re not nearly as effective,” Fernandez said.

Players Who Keep It Moving

Asked who he leans on to break a stagnant possession, Fernandez pointed to Azzi Fudd and her chemistry with Paige Bueckers.

“I think Azzi does a wonderful job moving without the ball. She makes really good reads,” Fernandez said.

“When Paige is handling it and she and Azzi are in split actions, she always seems to make the right decisions,” Fernandez said.

He said the Wings will need to push the pace to avoid grinding it out in the half-court.

“Transition is going to be key. We don’t want to be playing five-on-five against them in the half court,” Fernandez said.

High Marks for Jessica Shepard

Jessica Shepard, who earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors for games played June 15-21, drew praise for her all-around game.

“I love her versatility and her basketball IQ. She’s someone who can handle the ball, make passes, rebound it, and immediately start the break. She does a lot of different things that help our team,” Fernandez said.

Azzi Fudd’s Climb

Fudd has averaged about 37 minutes over the last three games with a rising shot volume, and Fernandez said her growth has shown up well beyond the box score.

“It’s been great. I think she’s shown she can be a three-level scorer,” Fernandez said.

“She also does a lot of things that I’ve talked about before that don’t show up on the stat sheet—how she’s guarding, how she’s defending, getting deflections, and finding other ways to impact the game,” Fernandez said.

Dallas and Las Vegas tip off at 9 p.m. CT on Thursday, with the game airing nationally on NBA TV and locally on KFAA.

More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal

• ‘Found A Way’: Azzi Fudd’s Career-High, Paige Bueckers’ 1,000th Point Carry Dallas Wings Past Seattle Storm In Overtime
• How Li Yueru ‘Changed The Game’ For Dallas Wings To Pull Off 17-Point Rally vs. Chicago Sky
• Dallas Wings Sign Haley Jones To Developmental Player Contract
• ‘Good Teams Find A Way To Win’: Dallas Wings Erase 17-Point Deficit To Edge Sky 93-92 On Li Yueru’s Late Free Throws
• Dallas Wings Lean On Defense, ‘Keep Going’ Mindset vs. Chicago Sky
• ‘They Came Up With Every 50/50 Ball’: Dallas Wings Fall To Golden State Valkyries 91-80 Despite Early Lead