Dallas Wings Regroup at Practice After Preseason Loss Against Las Vegas Aces

After opening the WNBA preseason with a 112–78 loss to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the Dallas Wings returned to the practice floor Sunday focused on learning, connecting, and establishing an identity with one of the league’s youngest rosters.

The game, held at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion, marked several debuts — including No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, head coach Chris Koclanes, and rookies like Madison Scott and JJ Quinerly. It was also a homecoming for Arike Ogunbowale, who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 2018.

Despite the lopsided result, the focus on Sunday was on steady progress.

“We’ve only been together for a week,” Koclanes said at practice. “So yes, patience — but we also challenged them to have a little more urgency. At times, it didn’t look like how we wanted it to look. So we challenged them to still have patience and at the same time have a little more urgency into things that were in our control.”

The Wings jumped to a 25–23 first-quarter lead before Las Vegas seized control with a 32–11 second-quarter surge. Dallas committed 19 turnovers, many live-ball giveaways that led to transition buckets.

“What hurt us was just the live-ball turnovers,” Koclanes said postgame. “Those steals — now, when you’re in transition, it’s really tough to be able to match up and get your defense set. You saw us kind of out there — it looked like we were lost, but a lot of it was off of steals, live-ball turnovers.”

JJ Quinerly Sparks Off the Dallas Wings’ Bench

JJ Quinerly led all Wings scorers with 16 points in 17 minutes, shooting 7-of-10 from the field. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year brought instant energy and poise on both ends of the floor in her pro debut.

“Honestly, just to have fun and kind of learn everything — soak everything up and find some comfortability playing in the W,” Quinerly said at practice. “I love defense — I thrive on it — and that defense leads to offense. I’m a rhythm player, so once the defense gets going, I can start putting the ball in the hoop.”

Quinerly, one of the first reserves off the bench, acknowledged she plays with a chip on her shoulder.

“I mean, a little bit,” she said. “But I’m just excited to be here. I love playing basketball — that’s what I’m here to do, and I’m going to do that.”

“Those were the expectations,” Koclanes added. “We know what she’s capable of. So I was more than anything just extremely excited for her to feel some of that success at our level right away.”

Paige Bueckers Shows Poise in WNBA Debut

Starting at point guard, Bueckers finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and an assist in a team-high 22 minutes. She navigated the pace and physicality of the pro game with poise and showcased early control in pick-and-roll actions.

“The game is already slow for her,” Koclanes said. “Usually, if there’s a transition period — and there will be at times — you have to just continue to work at it and eventually it slows down. But the pace at which she plays already is just different.”

Bueckers remains focused on continuing to take it day by day as she gets acclimated to the WNBA.

“It’s super surreal, in terms of the turnaround from where I was two weeks ago to where I am today,” Bueckers said postgame. “Just soaking it up, enjoying every moment, getting used to new routines, traditions, new teammates, new organization, and just excited to play basketball again with this new group.”

When asked what stood out most in her transition to the pro level, Bueckers pointed to screen defense.

“Definitely fighting over screens. They’re a lot bigger. They’re a lot more physical,” she said. “So screen navigation was definitely something that was different than college.”

Madison Scott Reflects on First WNBA Action

Madison Scott saw limited minutes in her debut, but the experience was still unforgettable, especially with her college coach, Yolett McPhee-McCuin, making a surprise appearance.

“Everything,” Scott said when asked what it meant to have Coach Yo at the game. “She actually thought the game was in Vegas at first, so she wasn’t gonna come. But I got a text earlier that morning — she said, ‘Maddie, you have any tickets?’ She was like, ‘I found out the game was at Notre Dame.’ So she got a flight that day, drove from Chicago, came to watch me play, and met up with me. Everything happened. So, shout out to Coach Yo. She’s just always showing up — no matter what. It’s bigger than basketball.”

Scott credited McPhee-McCuin with helping shape her mindset.

“She was on me my whole career about putting in everything that I want to receive — putting in good things, building good habits, teaching every day. It’s all about what you deposit. You can’t expect to take anything out if you’re not depositing anything in.”

Scott was overcome with emotion during the pregame moment.

“The atmosphere was absolutely amazing,” she said. “I had to really sit and take it in during the starting lineups, watching the video of Arike, looking at the crowd. I thought, wow — this is my first WNBA game, and hopefully many more to come.”

“I just thanked God in that moment. I wouldn’t be where I am without Him or without my village. I was filled with so much gratitude and just wanted to keep experiencing this.”

Scott also spoke about her motivation off the court.

“London, Summer, and Zion — my siblings. I’m the oldest. Those are my babies,” she said. “They always hit me up for money and stuff like that as well, so just making sure I’m in a position to provide for my siblings and show them the right way. That’s going to push me through the good days and the bad.”

Dallas Wings Experiment with Versatility and Veteran Leadership

Dallas continued testing lineups at Sunday’s practice, including small-ball sets with NaLyssa Smith or Myisha Hines-Allen at the five.

“We love the versatility in our pieces and want to play in a variety of ways,” Koclanes said. “I was excited about how the floor looked and the opportunities we generated with some of those smaller lineups.”

Veterans like Hines-Allen have played a key role in supporting the transition for the rookie-heavy roster.

“With all that newness, having vets that are willing to help their rookies come along is just going to make us stronger,” Scott said. “Shout out to our vets — they’re pouring into us each and every day.”

Quinerly credited her father as the most influential person in her life.

“My father, for sure,” she said. “He’s been the person in my life who’s supported me through everything. I’ve seen him come out of a lot, so I really look up to him and his ability to be resilient and take everything on.”

Dallas Wings Injury Updates

Ty Harris remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and Koclanes expressed optimism that she could return soon.

“Ty’s day-to-day,” Koclanes said. “We hope she can get back on the court soon.”

Luisa Geiselsöder, meanwhile, remains away from the team with no official timetable to return.

Looking Ahead

The Wings return to action on May 10 against Japan’s Toyota Antelopes in their second and final preseason contest. With roster cuts looming, Koclanes said the focus remains on evaluating players holistically.

“We want everyone to be stars in their roles,” he said. “All those roles are different. So when you’re looking at piecing the rest of this roster together — yes, basketball. But also, how do they fit into our locker room and to the culture?”