DHJ Quick Take: The Shooting Standard
- The Spacing Mandate: The Dallas Wings coaching staff is emphasizing the “good shots to great shots” philosophy. The goal is clear: maximize the gravity of their primary creators to generate high-percentage looks for the entire rotation.
- Veteran Synergy: Seeing Odyssey Sims and Alysha Clark in the same shooting pod is a preview of players in the mix for the “Strong 10” rotation. Sims, fresh off her Athletes Unlimited championship, and Clark, a two-time All-Defensive selection, provide the veteran “voice” that Fernandez believes will expedite the chemistry of the younger core.
- The Continuity Gap: With Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard, and Alanna Smith still out, these shooting reps are vital for players like Maddy Siegrist and Li Yueru. As Curt Miller noted, the “July vs. May” reality means the Wings are using this condensed 15-practice window to ensure the current group is fully aligned before the preseason opener in Indiana.
- Intentionality in Every Rep: Siegrist’s comment about the group being “intentional” reflects the culture Fernandez is building. In a camp with five late arrivals, the focus on “shooting drills with purpose” ensures the roster remains competitive and conditioned for the April 30 matchup against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers worked through a team shooting drill during Day 5 of training camp at College Park Center, with the second-year guard grouped alongside a mix of veterans and training camp pieces. The drill was part of the on-court work head coach Jose Fernandez has built into the team’s condensed 15-practice camp install.
Bueckers was joined by forwards Alysha Clark and Maddy Siegrist, guard Odyssey Sims, center Li Yueru, and guard Zee Spearman for the drill, a group that includes four of the five players Fernandez has leaned on alongside Bueckers for extended 5-on-5 reps this week.
The shooting group reflected the roster reality the Wings are navigating early in camp, with four of general manager Curt Miller‘s projected top-eight players still absent. Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard, Alanna Smith, and Awak Kuier have all missed the opening days of camp for a mix of overseas commitments and immigration matters. Miller acknowledged earlier in the week that the group’s early continuity will require patience through the first weeks of the season.
“There needs to be patience and some grace early in the season. When we get to Game 1, we won’t have had much time together compared to teams that have continuity,” Miller said. “Our team will look a lot different in July than it does in May.”
Fernandez has emphasized three-point shooting and floor spacing as central tenets of the offense he is installing, with the team working to build the habits and personnel reads that produce high-quality looks.
“You have to space the floor. High-percentage teams do a great job shooting in transition and generating inside-out threes,” Fernandez said. “For us, it’s about having the right people taking shots. We need to knock down open threes and emphasize going from good shots to great shots.”
Siegrist, entering her fourth WNBA season, said the group’s intentionality through the first week of camp has been a clear thread.
“It was good. I thought everyone got after it today. Everyone was pretty intentional,” Siegrist said. “We got up and down a little bit, which is always fun.”
The Wings open the 2026 WNBA preseason on Thursday, April 30, with a road exhibition game against the Indiana Fever.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
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