Dallas Wings Cap Preseason With 101-84 Rout Of Las Vegas Aces In Austin

AUSTIN — The Dallas Wings finished the 2026 preseason with a perfect 2-0 record after a 101-84 win over the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday at Moody Center, dominating from tip-off in front of a sellout crowd of 10,179 in the first WNBA game ever held at the Austin venue. The 6 p.m. CT contest aired nationally on ION.

Second-year guard Aziaha James led Dallas with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block off the bench, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc in 16 minutes. Forward Maddy Siegrist added 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting with 5 rebounds, while rookie Azzi Fudd scored 12 points in her second career preseason appearance.

The night was tempered by an in-game face injury to starting center Alanna Smith, who did not return after exiting in the first half. Smith took an elbow to the face from A’ja Wilson that left her mouth bleeding, and she was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Smith — who entered the game listed as available while managing a left quad issue — finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a team-high 7 rebounds in just 12 minutes before the injury. She was the most efficient player on the floor for either team prior to leaving.

Paige Bueckers rounded out Dallas’ double-digit scorers, finishing one assist shy of a double-double with 11 points, 4 rebounds, a team-high 9 assists, and 1 steal in 21 minutes. Las Vegas brought aggressive coverages designed to load up on Bueckers and force the ball out of her hands, but the second-year guard responded patiently — picking the defense apart as a passer and finding teammates in rhythm rather than forcing her own looks. However, she found windows to attack by being patient and getting to her spots. Her decision-making was the foundation of Dallas’ most cohesive offensive performance of the preseason.

The Wings shot 49.3% from the floor, knocked down 9-of-20 from three-point range (45%), and assisted on 24 of 35 made field goals — a clean expression of the collective ball-movement identity head coach Jose Fernandez has been preaching since training camp opened. Dallas pushed the pace aggressively throughout the night, and when the offense settled into the half-court, the ball reliably changed sides of the floor as cutters flowed through dribble handoffs and off-ball screens. Most of Dallas’ makes were assisted, and the efficiency was a direct byproduct of trust among teammates rather than isolation-based creation.

Fernandez had highlighted that exact connection between shot quality and ball movement at shootaround, pointing to the assist numbers from the preseason opener as a clear marker of progress.

“We shot well from the free-throw line—we only missed two. I thought we took good shots, and when you take good shots, your percentages will be pretty good. I looked at our assist-to-made field goal ratio and was very pleased with that,” Fernandez said pregame. “When our wings sprint, and we create that inside-out dynamic where defenders have to collapse, it opens up the three-point line. I thought we did a really good job with that.”

Dallas also out-rebounded Las Vegas 34-26 and dominated bench scoring 47-23. Five Wings finished in double figures, and the bench provided steady production behind James, Jessica Shepard, Alysha Clark, JJ Quinerly, and Amy Okonkwo.

Dallas Wings Set Tone Early With 35-20 First Quarter Burst

Fernandez had signaled at shootaround that he intended to keep his starting unit intact from the preseason opener while still cycling more lineup combinations behind it.

“We’re going to start the same five that we started the other day. I know Alanna was questionable, so we’ll see how she does in her pregame routine and make that decision then,” Fernandez said pregame. “But you’ll see some different lineups than we used the other night, and we’ll increase the workload a little bit as we build toward tomorrow.”

Smith ultimately played, and the Wings deployed a starting lineup of Odyssey Sims, Bueckers, Fudd, Siegrist, and Smith. Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon countered with Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Jackie Young, Stephanie Talbot, and Wilson.

Smith set the tone immediately, knocking down a pair of early three-pointers as Dallas raced to an 8-2 lead. Following a brief 10-9 Aces response that trimmed the deficit to 5 at the first media timeout, the Wings ripped off 9 unanswered out of the break to push the margin to 14 at 26-12 with 2:40 to play in the period. James led all scorers in the opening 10 minutes with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block off the bench, and Dallas shot a blistering 63.6% (14-of-22) from the floor in the quarter to take a 35-20 lead into the second.

Las Vegas opened the second on a 7-3 spurt that prompted a Wings timeout with 6:24 remaining in the half, and Dallas’ lead trimmed to 12 at 39-27. Siegrist responded with 6 points and 3 rebounds in the period as the Wings closed out a 15-14 stretch the rest of the way to take a 54-42 lead into the locker room. Dallas dominated the glass through 20 minutes, out-rebounding Las Vegas 21-10, and shot 60% (6-of-10) from beyond the arc in the first half. Smith hit two of those threes, with Bueckers, Fudd, Sims, and James each adding one.

The third quarter was when Dallas put the game out of reach. The Wings opened the second half on a 7-3 run — Fudd scoring 3 of those points — to take a 61-45 lead and force the Aces into a timeout with 7:54 to play. Dallas extended the advantage to as much as 20 at 65-45 before settling for an 82-64 lead entering the fourth. Eight different Wings contributed points in the third, with James leading the way again at 6 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists.

Las Vegas closed the gap modestly in the fourth quarter, winning the period 20-19 as Fernandez emptied his bench. Okonkwo — who hadn’t scored to that point — opened the quarter with an and-one that pushed the Wings’ lead to 24 at 90-66. She finished the period as Dallas’ top scorer with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. The free-throw line shaped the final stanza on both sides: 10 of Las Vegas’ 20 fourth-quarter points and 9 of Dallas’ 19 came at the stripe.

Dallas Wings Defensive Discipline a Work in Progress Against A’ja Wilson

Bueckers had been clear before tip-off that two areas of self-evaluation would define the night, particularly after Dallas surrendered an excessive number of free-throw attempts in its preseason opener against Indiana.

“I think our two points of emphasis are defending without fouling—we sent Indiana to the free throw line a bunch—and then valuing the ball, valuing our possessions. Less turnovers,” Bueckers said pregame. “And then just continuing to find our identity on both sides of the floor, having a connectivity about us—always talking, always communicating. But those two are really our points of emphasis for tonight.”

Doing that against a four-time MVP in Wilson was always going to be the hardest part of that mandate, and Bueckers had previewed the challenge as a five-on-five problem rather than a one-on-one matchup.

“It’ll test our ability to fly around and be in scramble mode. She’s obviously a tough cover one-on-one, so we’re going to have to send help, be in gaps, and just make everything tough for her,” Bueckers said pregame. “She’s one of the best players in the league, so it’s always a tough matchup. It’ll challenge our ability to stay connected and really not just guard one-on-one, but guard five-on-five.”

The split between Dallas’ first and second halves told the story Fernandez emphasized postgame. The Wings committed only 8 fouls in the first half — a disciplined effort against a player who manufactures contact at every level — but ballooned to 19 fouls in the second half as Fernandez extended his rotation deeper into the bench. Much of the second-half foul trouble came from reserves still calibrating their defensive habits at WNBA pace, rather than from the starters who set the tone early.

The ball-security half of the ledger improved from the opener. Dallas committed just 4 turnovers in the first half before slipping to 9 in the second for a final total of 14, but the foul issue remains the most pressing carryover into film study.

Fernandez had outlined a more granular point-of-attack philosophy at shootaround, emphasizing the connection between transition discipline and shot selection.

“Hopefully we do a much better job of taking care of the basketball and not giving the other team extra possessions,” Fernandez said pregame. “We’ve got to do a great job defensively—walling up and trusting our help. Transition defense is going to be a big test. We’ve got to stop the point of attack, keep the ball in front of us, and make sure we keep it to the side loaded.”

He was equally direct that bad shot selection bleeds into bad transition defense, framing the two halves of the floor as one continuous decision tree.

“I think we’ll get tested on the glass, so the defensive glass will be really big. Offensively, shot selection matters—bad shots lead to bad transition defense,” Fernandez said pregame. “We’ve got to be efficient in how we play.”

Paige Bueckers Sets Tone for Dallas Wings as Playmaker

Bueckers’ 9-assist performance was the latest data point in what has been a steady preseason for the second-year guard. She shot 4-of-9 from the field, 1-of-1 from three-point range, and 2-of-2 at the free-throw line while finishing a plus-15. Las Vegas’ aggressive coverages — designed to get the ball out of her hands and force someone else to make plays — repeatedly drew help defenders into rotation, and Bueckers consistently found the open teammate rather than forcing the issue.

Bueckers had pushed back firmly pregame on the idea that the Wings could afford to ease off in May, treating preseason as continuous with the regular season rather than a separate runway.

“No, I think preseason is extremely important in setting the tone. You don’t want to take those games lightly or treat them any less seriously than a regular season game,” Bueckers said. “It’s all preparing you for May 9th when the regular season starts, but there’s no difference in how seriously we take them.”

Execution within Dallas’ half-court sets was something Bueckers had emphasized as a separate point of emphasis pregame, drawing a clean line between the cleaner reps of practice and the pressure of in-game decision-making against an unfamiliar opponent.

“Just finding our execution. It’s easier in practice when it’s five-on-zero and you can restart, but there’s an emphasis on executing our half-court sets, out-of-timeout sets, and start-of-game sets,” Bueckers said. “It’ll be a challenge to do that in a game environment against a different opponent, but we’re looking forward to it.”

The first WNBA game ever played at Moody Center held significance beyond the result for Bueckers, who pointed to Austin as a key market for the league’s continued growth, even though the venue is not Dallas’ regular home.

“It’s really cool. Just to bring the WNBA to cities and areas that don’t really have it. UT has great support, but spreading the WNBA, women’s basketball, and women’s sports in general is important,” Bueckers said. “There’s no better time than now, so it’s really fun to be out here in Austin.”

She also briefly addressed the personal aspect of returning to Moody Center — UConn lost to the Texas Longhorns there during her college career — but said the building’s atmosphere left a stronger impression than the result.

“Not really. Obviously, I don’t want to sit back on a loss, but I do remember the great environment,” Bueckers said pregame. “I think it was the first year of the Moody Center when we played here, and it was a great turnout. The arena’s amazing, so I definitely remember that.”

The Wings underwent a near-total identity reset over the offseason, including a coaching change, and Bueckers said the staff’s investment in players from the moment Fernandez was hired set the tone for camp.

“It’s been great. They did a really good job from day one of training camp, and even when Coach Jose first got the job, calling every single player and building relationships right away,” Bueckers said. “It’s been fun to learn what they want the culture, standards, and habits to be, and to be part of it from the start.”

Fernandez, who has been intentional about gradually scaling Bueckers’ workload through the preseason, sees a player whose preparation matches the leadership profile he expected when he took the job.

“It’s been great. I like the questions she asks, I like how prepared she is going into practices and games, and we’re continuing to build that relationship,” Fernandez said pregame. “We’ll increase her minutes tonight as well. She’s been a good leader in practice, in the locker room, and in the film room. I’m glad she’s with our organization, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to coach her.”

Fernandez declined to set a specific target for Bueckers’ three-point volume this season, framing the answer instead around what stretching the floor would unlock for the rest of the offense.

“I don’t have a specific number in mind. For us, it’s about playing faster and forcing defenses to guard inside-out. If we can stretch the floor from three, it opens everything up—spacing, handoffs, and different actions,” Fernandez said. “She’s already one of the best mid-range players, and what she showed in the offseason getting to the rim and the free-throw line—if she adds consistent three-point shooting, it really increases our versatility as a team.”

Aziaha James Leads Dallas Wings Bench in Preseason Finale Over Las Vegas Aces

James scored a game-leading 18 points off the bench, with 12 of them coming in the second half as Dallas extended its lead, and finished the night a plus-15. She was active throughout the night defensively, picking up 2 steals and 1 block while drawing the matchup with Aces guard Chennedy Carter, who was held to 5 points on 2-of-7 shooting and was assessed a flagrant-1 foul in the third quarter.

James pointed to both her time playing in Unrivaled this offseason and a deliberate defensive priority she brought into camp as the source of her newfound poise.

“Yeah, just my confidence. Like you said, I think Unrivaled helped a lot, just playing with those types of players,” James told reporters postgame. “I feel like defense was my main focus point for this year. So just getting bigger, being more aggressive, and allowing the game to come to me.”

The matchup with Carter — one of the more physical guards in the league — was the kind of test James said she welcomed.

“She’s a great player,” James said. “Moments like that make you better and make me more aggressive for the next matchup.”

With several pieces still returning and roster integrations ongoing, James said the Wings have taken cues directly from Fernandez’s vision for how the practice floor should look.

“Just keeping the standard. Coach emphasized being ready at all times,” James said. “The way we practice is how we come into games, and that helps us prepare.”

Now that the preseason is in the books, James kept her focus on the next rep rather than the unbeaten record.

“Just keep working, staying where our feet are. Preseason is over, but we’re still 0-0,” James said. “Focus on the next game and how we practice.”

Maddy Siegrist Continues Strong Preseason for Dallas Wings

Siegrist followed up a strong preseason opener with another efficient outing in 21 minutes, including a 6-point, 3-rebound second quarter that stabilized Dallas as Las Vegas chipped away at the lead. The third-year forward shot 7-of-10 from the field, with her ability to play both the wing and the four giving Fernandez additional lineup flexibility heading into the regular season.

Fernandez, who has used Siegrist across multiple frontcourt configurations through camp, said her two-game preseason has been a clean translation of what he saw in practice.

“She’s had two really good games to start. I like her versatility—she can play the wing and the four,” Fernandez said. “It’s great to see that translate from camp into games.”

JJ Quinerly Returns to Game Action With Dallas Wings

Sunday marked Quinerly’s first game action since suffering a season-ending knee injury on August 20, 2025 — a major moment in the sophomore guard’s recovery timeline. She finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 11 minutes off the bench, showing both the playmaking and shot-making instincts that defined her rookie campaign before the injury.

Her return adds another layer to a Wings backcourt that already runs deep with Bueckers, Sims, Lindsay Allen, Grace Berger, and Arike Ogunbowale still to return from a right ankle injury.

Jessica Shepard Makes Dallas Wings Debut After One Practice

Shepard made her Wings debut with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 16 minutes after winning a championship in Italy this spring and joining Dallas with just one practice under her belt. Her ability to acclimate that quickly drew notice from teammates and her head coach both pregame and postgame.

Shepard pointed pregame to the assemblage of young talent and to a pair of established relationships — one with Bueckers, whose playmaking she has watched closely, and another with Ogunbowale, her former Notre Dame teammate — as the reasons she was excited to land 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 said pregame. “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’s early film study of the group reinforced her view that talent is not the question for this Wings team.

“There’s a lot of talent here and a lot of energy. There are a lot of young players, which is what you expect,” Shepard said pregame. “I’m just excited for the opportunity to get on the floor with this group.”

The continuity factor extended to the Wings’ frontcourt, where Shepard reunites with Smith after the two played significant minutes together with the Minnesota Lynx last season during an injury absence to Napheesa Collier.

“It’s great. 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 said. “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.”

Shepard pointed to her perimeter mobility and decision-making as the strengths that fit cleanly into the dribble-handoff-heavy offense Fernandez wants to run.

“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. I’m excited for that opportunity,” Shepard said.

Postgame, Shepard zeroed in on what she said is often the first thing to fade in a long camp — energy — and credited the mix of young talent and experienced voices for keeping it elevated.

“I think the energy is great. At this point in training camp, sometimes you see that energy drop off, but I think having a young team led by vets with experience has kept the energy high,” Shepard said postgame. “The focus is there. Now that preseason is over, it’s time to focus on the regular season.”

Communication, in particular, was the through line Shepard pointed to in keeping Dallas’ defense organized during a game where she had only one practice with her teammates.

“Huge. We’re adding pieces day by day—I’ve only had one practice with the team—so communication helped a lot,” Shepard said postgame. “In this league, being a great communicating team on defense can take you a long way and cover a lot of mistakes.”

She also said chemistry — not talent — would ultimately determine which contenders separate themselves in 2026.

“Chemistry is the biggest factor in this league. Every team is talented, so it comes down to which teams can figure it out and play well together,” Shepard said postgame. “That’s one of our main focuses.”

Bueckers, for her part, said she had been looking forward to building chemistry with Shepard since the signing was finalized, and described her as the kind of player whose game makes natural pairings easy.

“She’s a great player—very versatile and a really smart, high-IQ player. Easy to play with and off of,” Bueckers said of Shepard pregame. “I’m looking forward to getting reps with her because I think it’ll be organic chemistry. She does so much on both ends—defensively she can guard one through five, and offensively she’s a playmaker and scorer. She’s selfless and affects the game in so many ways.”

Fernandez, who saw Shepard execute the playbook from her first practice, framed her addition as a multiplier for Dallas’ transition game and half-court versatility.

“She can rebound and handle it, so now you’ve got five players who can get the ball off the glass and start the break. That’s how we want to play,” Fernandez said. “In the half court, you can involve her in post-ups and handoffs. When we look for second and third options instead of settling for the first shot, it becomes a great possession.”

He had previewed Shepard’s professionalism pregame, pointing specifically to how quickly she absorbed the playbook.

“I’m looking forward to getting her in the fold and giving her some minutes. She’s got an unbelievable personality, she’s a great teammate, and she has a high basketball IQ,” Fernandez said pregame. “We sent her the film and the playbook, and she came in on day one knowing everything—that speaks to how professional she is.”

Azzi Fudd Adjusts to WNBA Physicality in Second Preseason Game

Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, finished a plus-15 in 20 minutes — including a stretch in the third quarter when she scored 3 of Dallas’ first 7 points out of halftime to help the Wings push the lead to 16. She finished 4-of-10 from the floor, 1-of-5 from three-point range, and 3-of-4 at the free-throw line.

Fudd was honest postgame about the learning curve from her preseason debut to Sunday’s game while pointing to small but tangible improvements in feel.

“I definitely felt a lot more comfortable out there tonight than I did the other night. I think each game is going to get a little bit better,” Fudd said. “Not easier, but just more comfortable—getting used to the flow, the physicality, and who I’m playing against.”

Pressed on the league’s physicality — an area she had said pregame was on her mind — Fudd offered a candid assessment of how the officiating standard has actually played in real-game reps.

“Honestly, I feel more confused. I thought you could be physical in the W, but anytime you touch someone it’s a foul,” Fudd said. “I’m not really sure when to be physical, so I’m still figuring that out.”

The timing and flow of the offense — particularly with new pieces still being integrated — is something Fudd said she expects to evolve as the rotation rounds out.

“Like Jess said, it’s about getting better every day. We’re playing with the group we have now, and when other pieces come in, we’ll be able to stretch the floor more,” Fudd said. “It’s a work in progress—just learning tendencies and who you’re playing with.”

Much of her current focus, Fudd said, is happening outside the game itself — in pre- and post-practice work and on tape.

“Getting work in before and after practice and watching a lot of film. This is my first time playing most people in this league, so I’m trying to learn tendencies and prepare before matchups,” Fudd said.

The Moody Center crowd — 10,179 strong, with Texas-style college energy — left an impression on the rookie who never played in Austin during her UConn career.

“This was my first time playing in Austin. I didn’t get to play here with UConn, so I thought the arena was amazing and the crowd was great,” Fudd said. “It was a lot of energy and made it a fun environment.”

Alysha Clark, Amy Okonkwo, and Wings Reserves Round Out Dallas Depth

Beyond James, Shepard, and Quinerly, Fernandez extended his rotation deep into the bench in a way no head coach typically does — even in preseason. Alysha Clark chipped in 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 17 minutes of veteran work. Okonkwo added 8 points on 2-of-5 shooting from three-point range in 10 minutes, with the bulk of her production coming in the fourth quarter.

Sims ran the starting unit at point guard before turning the second-half reins over to Allen and Berger, finishing with 5 points and 2 assists in 15 minutes and going 1-of-1 from beyond the arc. Berger added 2 points and 2 assists.

Rayah Marshall, who was cleared from concussion protocol earlier in the day to be active, logged 2:40 of garbage-time minutes. Italian rookie Costanza Verona also saw the floor for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.

Fernandez used 16 players in the win — a career first for the longtime college coach — and pointed to that depth as a defining feature of what this Wings group could become.

“I’ve never played 16 players in a game before, so that’s another first,” Fernandez said. “But it shows the depth we have and the ability for everyone to contribute.”

Las Vegas Aces Pace Set by A’ja Wilson Despite Foul Trouble

Wilson led the Aces with 18 points and 5 rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting, getting to the free-throw line a game-high 13 times and converting 8, but she also picked up a flagrant-1 foul at the 7:47 mark of the third quarter. Young added 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Gray chipped in 10 points and a team-high 5 assists for Hammon’s squad. Loyd, in her first preseason action with Las Vegas, struggled offensively with 9 points on 2-of-6 shooting, though she pulled down a team-high 6 rebounds.

NaLyssa Smith added 9 points and 4 rebounds and was assessed a technical foul with 5:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Carter added 5 points off the bench but committed 6 personal fouls along with her flagrant-1 in the third quarter.

The Aces actually outscored Dallas in points in the paint 40-36, and edged the Wings on fast-break points 13-12, but the Wings’ three-point edge (9-5), rebounding margin (34-26), and bench-points advantage (47-23) more than offset the interior production. Both teams notched 8 second-chance points.

Las Vegas was without Janiah Barker (concussion protocol) and Dana Evans (lower left leg).

Fernandez had identified the Las Vegas frontcourt as a useful test for his group during his pregame and shootaround availabilities, framing it as an early film opportunity rather than a result-driven barometer.

“They have so many different ways they can play with their personnel. It’ll be good for us because it’s going to test our interior defense, our pick-and-roll defense, and our rebounding,” Fernandez said pregame. “If we don’t execute well, it’ll give us a lot to clean up on film before the opener in Indiana.”

When asked to summarize what the Aces do best, the longtime Wings head coach kept his answer short — and structured it as a sustained tribute to Hammon.

“A lot of things—that’s why they’re the world champions,” Fernandez said when asked what the Aces do well. “She’s great. She’s demanding, but you can see how she communicates with her team and the respect she has,” he added of Hammon. “From a basketball and X’s-and-O’s standpoint, you already know how talented she is. There’s a reason that organization has been so successful—she’s a huge part of it.”

Empress Davenport Returns to Former Home Floor With Dallas Wings

The night carried added meaning for first-year Wings assistant coach Empress Davenport, who played her college basketball at Texas. Fernandez has built his staff around teachers and connectors, and on Sunday took the opportunity to needle his assistant about being undefeated at Moody Center.

“I gave her a hard time—I told her the last time I was here, we beat Texas when the building opened, so I guess I’m undefeated here,” Fernandez said. “But she’s been great. She’s a wonderful addition to the staff and really connects with players. I’m excited about her future. She’s passionate about the Longhorns, which is special.”

Pressed pregame on the broader logic behind his staff hires, Fernandez emphasized communication and breadth of experience as the qualities he prioritized.

“When you come to practice, you can see they’re very good teachers and great connectors. The staff has experience playing and coaching at the college level, in the WNBA, and in the NBA,” Fernandez said. “I knew the type of people they were. You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I also knew our players would enjoy working with them because of their basketball knowledge, teaching, and communication.”

Jose Fernandez Pushes for Dallas Wings to Sharpen Identity Before Regular Season Opener

The veteran head coach was pleased with the result but used postgame to underline what film study would reveal — particularly Dallas’ second-half foul trouble, which exploded after a disciplined first 20 minutes.

“It was good to face someone like A’ja Wilson and see what we need to work on inside. We committed too many fouls—27 overall. We had just eight in the first half, so that slipped,” Fernandez said. “We also did a better job taking care of the ball early with four turnovers, but had nine in the second half. Some of that comes down to lineups.”

The defensive pickup point was another item Fernandez had flagged pregame as both a philosophical fit and a discipline issue Dallas continues to work through.

“I do. I don’t mind us picking up higher in the full court, but we’ve got to keep the ball in front. That’s where we struggled—we either got beat off the dribble or fouled too much,” Fernandez said pregame. “If we’re going to pick up that high, we have to be disciplined and execute better in the half court and in the scoring area.”

Asked postgame whether Dallas was where it wanted to be on pace and spacing, Fernandez was direct about how much work remains.

“Not even close. Not even close. But we’ll get there. We’re integrating a lot of different pieces.”

He elaborated on the side-to-side movement that anchors his offensive system — and on the fact that Dallas, despite winning, has yet to establish the next-play mentality he wants from this group.

“It starts with not turning the ball over. Then it’s about how we set screens, how we cut, and playing with pace. We’ll run more tonight—we have to,” Fernandez said at shootaround. “We’ll also look at spacing—where we are on straight-line drives, baseline drives, and drifts, and how we keep the backside occupied. Vegas does a really good job defensively. They can switch multiple spots and pick their coverages. So this will be good for our group as we prepare for the opener at Indiana.”

Postgame, he said the effort is there, even if the execution is still catching up.

“We need to clean up things like inbounding and spacing in certain situations. But I can’t question how hard they’re playing—the effort and multiple efforts are there,” Fernandez said. “That next-play mentality is important, and we’ll continue to build it.”

He also said the team’s communication is starting to look like the kind he expects from groups much further along in their chemistry-building.

“It’s on its way. You see it in how they communicate and hold each other accountable,” Fernandez said. “They’re talking and solving problems before I even get into a timeout, which is good to see.”

Dallas Wings Await Returns of Arike Ogunbowale and Awak Kuier

The Wings were without Ogunbowale (right ankle) and Awak Kuier (overseas commitment) on Sunday. Fernandez said both will deepen an already crowded rotation when they’re available.

“They’re both very good players, so it just makes this team even deeper,” Fernandez said.

Dallas opens the 2026 WNBA regular season on the road at the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 9, at 12 p.m. CT. The Wings will make their home debut at College Park Center in Arlington on Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. against the Atlanta Dream.

Fernandez said the team will take a brief break before returning to practice on Tuesday.

“That’s what I told our group—you’ve got to continue to come in, work, and prepare with effort and enthusiasm every day. We’ve played well in two preseason games because we’ve practiced really well.”

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