DHJ Quick Take: The Bueckers Era Gets Real
- The Support System: Last season, Paige Bueckers won Rookie of the Year while essentially carrying a 10-win team. By adding Alanna Smith (the reigning Co-DPOY) and Jessica Shepard (the league leader in FG%), Curt Miller has ensured that Bueckers no longer has to be perfect for the Wings to be competitive.
- The Chemistry Factor: This roster wasn’t just built for talent; it was built for connection. Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale bring their Notre Dame championship chemistry, while Alanna Smith arrives with a fresh Unrivaled title won alongside Ogunbowale and Li Yueru.
- Defensive Revolution: With Awak Kuier (the EuroLeague blocks leader) and Alanna Smith (80 blocks in 2025) joining forces, the Wings have transformed their biggest weakness into a historic defensive ceiling. This is now a “No-Fly Zone” in Arlington.
- Draft Day Luxury: The most remarkable part? Dallas still holds the No. 1 overall pick in tomorrow’s WNBA Draft. For the first time in years, the Wings aren’t drafting for survival—they are drafting for the final piece of a championship puzzle.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings have spent the past two weeks completely reshaping the roster around reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers — and the results have been dramatic.
Arike Ogunbowale re-signed on a multi-year deal, taking less than her $1.4 million supermax qualifying offer to give the front office more flexibility to build around their backcourt pairing. Reigning WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith joined on a three-year maximum contract, bringing her 80-block 2025 season to a Wings defense that needed exactly what she provides.
Awak Kuier returned after three dominant seasons in Europe, leading the Euroleague in blocks for Galatasaray this past season while shooting 59.3% from the field and 40.9% from three. Jessica Shepard, who led the entire WNBA in field goal percentage last season at 63.8%, signed a multi-year deal and reunites with her former Notre Dame championship teammate, Ogunbowale, in the process.
Center Li Yueru and guard Grace Berger accepted qualifying offers, retaining two rotation contributors as restricted free agents.
All of it lands around a player who averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in her rookie season — Rookie of the Year on a team that won 10 games — without a roster capable of consistently taking pressure off her. That roster no longer exists.
Bueckers captioned an Instagram story: “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life!”
Hard to argue with that. The Wings still hold the No. 1 overall pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft on April 14, which has not even happened yet.
Dallas opens the 2026 season on the road against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 9, at noon CT, before making their home debut at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. against the Atlanta Dream.
More Wings & WNBA Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- ‘Positioned To Be Very Aggressive’: How Dallas Wings Executed Curt Miller’s Vision Laid For Offseason Moves
- ‘Our Top Target’: Dallas Wings Sign Reigning WNBA Co-Defensive Player Of The Year Alanna Smith To Three-Year Max Deal
- ‘A Huge Priority’: Curt Miller Details Why Dallas Wings Brought Back Center Awak Kuier
- Curt Miller Praises Arike Ogunbowale’s ‘Undeniable’ Commitment To Dallas Wings, Details Re-Signing All-Time Scoring Leader
- ‘High Basketball IQ’: Curt Miller Details Why Jessica Shepard Was A Free-Agent Priority For The Dallas Wings
- Sources: Dallas Wings Agree To Multi-Year Deal With Jessica Shepard In WNBA Free Agency
- Sources: Arike Ogunbowale Re-Signing With Dallas Wings On Historic Multi-Year Deal
- Sources: Dallas Wings Re-Signing Awak Kuier After Overseas Development
- Dallas Wings Trade Diamond Miller To Connecticut Sun, Acquire Rayah Marshall In Salary-Clearing Move
- Portland Fire Select Luisa Geiselsöder, Haley Jones From Dallas Wings In 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft
