Dallas Mavericks assistant athletic trainer Heather Mau has noticed a trend of players grabbing extra breakfast. It’s not that their appetite has grown, but they need the extra food to lure in their favorite coworker.
Bailey, a two-year old mini Bernedoodle, is the team’s emotional support animal — the only one known to exist among NBA teams. She was “hired” in April of 2022 for a job that requires her to be her adorable self and get spoiled by professional basketball players.
While Mau is proud to say the Mavericks are the first NBA team to do this, she hopes to inspire other organizations to get emotional support animals. She said that even with the team’s busy schedule, having Bailey has added a lot of benefits.
“We are trying to be progressive when it comes to that as an organization,” Mau said. “Being the first to have an emotional support animal, and really putting our mental health — players, staff and coaches’ mental health — in the forefront and the focus on what we do.”
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Naturally, of course, the team loves to spoil her.
“Dwight Powell, Tim Hardaway, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber are usually the ones that fall victim in that category,” Mau told CBS Sports. “But there are a few staff members who spoil her even more than the players.”
Head coach Jason Kidd and other Mavericks higher-ups approved the decision to get Bailey, and Mau couldn’t volunteer fast enough to take care of her full-time.
“I like to say I quite frankly tricked everybody here to get me a dog,” Mau joked. “She is awesome. She brings a lot of light not only into my life but a lot of light into the building.”
Mau is Bailey’s mom and the players are her “uncles.” The cuddly staffer has a busy schedule because she attends all practices, home games, shoot arounds and treatments with Mau. Fortunately, she gets plenty of treats to help her maintain her energy.
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“This dog is too smart sometimes,” Mau said. “She doesn’t like to eat all her breakfast at home before we leave for work because she knows she is going to go to work and have more breakfast.”
Players do not apologize for such behavior.
Bailey interacting with one of her many “uncles”
Dallas Mavericks
“Do I feed Bailey too much? I don’t think so,” Green told The Dallas Morning News. “She does a lot for the team. She’s one of our teammates. She’s always there for me, so I bring extra breakfast every morning.”
Sure, Bailey sometimes gets the zoomies and runs around the entire facility going “absolutely bananas.” And, yes, she occasionally forgets she is not supposed to play with her mom’s equipment, but she brings a lot of joy to everyone in the organization.
“That’s what Bailey brings, something different but also happiness,” Kidd told WFAA.
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She stays at home for road games but still shares her support for her uncles on her Instagram account, which her mom finally let her get in December.
Bailey gets lots of cuddles from the team, an endless amount of kisses, and Powell has gone as far as wearing matching outfits with her. In December, she had a birthday party and her favorite uncles did not miss out.
The San Francisco 49ers appeaer to be the only other professional sports organization doing something similar. They have Zoe, an adorable French bulldog who has captured the hearts of the entire roster. She had a brother, Rookie, but he passed away last year. Zoe belongs to the team’s director of player engagement, but others in the organization also help take care of her.
Her instagram is filled with photos with her teammates proudly posing with her.
Bailey and Zoe don’t just make workdays more fun, mental health professionals agree that animals have real mood-boosting benefits.
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Ed Chavez, mental performance clinician for the 49ers, thinks every team should consider adding a pet to their roster.
“I’m a huge advocate for having therapy dogs. Studies have shown that they reduce stress, anxiety and depression,” Chavez said. “Having them around is so beneficial to our mental health. When interacting with dogs, it lowers stress hormones and it releases calming and feeling good biochemicals in the brain. They generally make us feel better.”
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings point guard and WNBA Rookie of the Year, took the spotlight in women’s basketball this year. The 24-year-old arrived in Dallas after being the No. 1 selection in the WNBA draft in April, capping off an impressive collegiate run where she helped the University of Connecticut win a national championship title.
Bueckers represents the best of our star athletes. The energy and determination she brings to the game and her dedication to her teammates and community make her a finalist for 2025 Texan of the Year.
Born in Edina, Minn., Bueckers started playing basketball when she was around five years old. Her father coached her until middle school, and by the time she reached Hopkins High School, she was the No. 1 recruit in the country for the 2020 class. At the University of Connecticut, she became the face of a storied program, returning from injury to help deliver the Huskies their 12th NCAA title.
When she arrived in Dallas, the question wasn’t whether she’d make an impact — it was how quickly. The answer came fast. She was a starter in all 36 appearances for the Wings and averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals this season. Her 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks set a WNBA record for the highest single-game scoring performance by a rookie.
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She’s making Wings games must-watch basketball. At home games, the stands are filled with fans wearing Bueckers’ No. 5 jersey and young girls sporting face-framing braids and a ponytail to match her signature game-day hairstyle.
Ahead of their August showdown with the Indiana Fever, the Wings moved the game from their usual home court in Arlington to the American Airlines Center due to high demand for tickets to see the matchup between Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. The Wings didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, but Bueckers gave the city something to cheer for.
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But more than her athletic ability and impressive jump shots, Bueckers has shown a humility we wish was more common among stars like her. In interviews, she’s quick to give credit to her teammates, coaches and God. In 2021, at the ESPN ESPYS, after being recognized as the best college athlete in women’s sports, she used her acceptance speech to celebrate and honor Black women and their contributions to the sport.
In Dallas, Bueckers has teamed up with Verizon and Dick’s Sporting Goods to coach a youth clinic and exhibition game, eager to give back to the community and make the city feel like home while she’s here. And when she’s not training, she’s probably at another Dallas game — popping up at Stars and Cowboys games, a Trinity FC match and the Mavericks.
From her stylish game day tunnel outfits to TikTok videos dancing with her teammates to her smooth, disciplined basketball, it’s a pleasure to watch her — and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
Beginning today, we are running our Texan of the Year finalists in a countdown to naming the 2025 honorees on Sunday, Dec. 28. You can follow all of the finalists as they are published at dallasnews.com/opinion/texanoftheyear.
DALLAS – A Dallas Police investigation into a double homicide continues after the suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Mesquite, authorities announced.
Double murder-suicide investigation
What we know:
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Dallas officers responded to a shooting call in the 15800 block of El Estado Drive in Far North Dallas at 2:40 p.m. on December 11, 2025. The preliminary investigation determined that two people had been shot.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Arlina Sander, who died at the scene, and 27-year-old Darvilease Washington, who was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
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Detectives quickly identified a possible suspect and a suspect vehicle registered in Mesquite. As Dallas detectives prepared an arrest warrant, they were notified by the Mesquite Police Department about a shooting in that city.
Suspect found dead in Mesquite
The suspect in the El Estado homicides was found dead in the 1000 block of Craig Drive in Mesquite, having suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect’s vehicle was found in the driveway.
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The Dallas County Medical Examiner has identified the man as 44-year-old Jonathan Lakill Mantoy Jones. His time of death was just after 5 p.m., according to the M.E. report.
What we don’t know:
The motives and circumstances surrounding the offense are still under investigation.
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Dallas Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Paul Johnson at 469-271-6328 or via email at paul.johnson@dallaspolice.gov.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas Police Department.
After a gloomy Saturday, cold temperatures moved through Dallas-Fort Worth through the evening, though the area is expected to see some sunshine on Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to reach a high near 43 on Sunday with early morning wind chills in the 20s or lower for parts of North Texas, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.
Nighttime temperatures are likely to drop to a below-freezing 28, with wind gusts calming down in the evening after reaching as high as 30 mph during the day.
The coming week is expected to be somewhat sunny, barring some cloud cover during the night.
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Starting Tuesday, the weather is supposed to get warmer with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
The latest Dallas weather forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5):
SUNDAY (HANUKKAH BEGINS): Partly sunny, breezy and much colder. High: 44. Wind: N 10-20 mph.
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MONDAY: Mostly sunny and chilly. Low: 28. High: 53. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
TUESDAY: Mixture of sun and clouds, mild. Low: 43. High: 63. Wind: S 10-15 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny and warmer. Low: 53. High: 71. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
THURSDAY: Plenty of sunshine, warm. Low: 56. High: 71. Wind: N 5-10 mph.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Low: 47. High: 67. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
