Dallas, TX
What do the Dallas Wings need to do to contend for the WNBA Finals next season?
At the end of the 2023 season, the Dallas Wings were one of the top four teams in the WNBA.
The team had increased its regular season win total and the length of its playoff runs over the last several years, including a trip to the 2023 semifinals, where they lost to the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces.
“The expectation was that 2024 was going to be another step forward,” Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said in an interview this week.
Instead, the Wings took a step backward, missing the playoffs and finishing 9-31, their worst win percentage since 2019 after a spate of injuries. They also found themselves on the losing end of 14 games decided by 10 points or less. Had these games gone their way, 23-17 would have made the playoffs.
For the Wings to achieve their goal of reaching the WNBA Finals — in which the Minnesota Lynx hold a 1-0 lead over the New York Liberty going into Sunday’s Game 2 — Bibb said a few things need to happen, but players staying healthy tops the list.
“Disappointing is the best word to use to describe the ‘24 season,” said Bibb, the organization’s president and CEO since 2017, though he doesn’t want to make excuses.
“In our business, you are what your record says you are,” Bibb said. “But that said, we did experience a significant number of injuries.”
The biggest star to catch the Wings’ injury bug was forward Satou Sabally, the No. 2 overall draft pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury for the first 25 games of the season. The league’s Most Improved Player in 2023 had averaged a career-high 18.6 points and 8.1 rebounds and was named to the All-WNBA First Team.
Other key players struck by injuries included forwards Natasha Howard and Maddy Siegrist, the third overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft.
That left guard Arike Ogunbowale to carry much of the load. The veteran averaged 22.2 points per game, became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and was named to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2024, but her performance couldn’t overcome the team’s personnel issues.
“Our lineups kept changing because of injuries and we didn’t really get into a groove,” said Siegrist, who suffered a finger injury this year. “We were dropping a lot of close games early and then we had a couple more injuries and we couldn’t really as a team get over that hump.”
As the Detroit Shock and the Tulsa Shock, the organization won WNBA titles in 2003, 2006 and 2008. Last season’s semifinal appearance was the organization’s best finish since since moving to Dallas-Fort Worth in 2016 and rebranding as the Wings.
“We were really bad defensively this year, so I think we need an organizational recommitment to the defensive side of the ball,” Bibb said. “From a specific roster perspective, some additional veteran leadership and some experience at the point guard position, this early in our offseason evaluation, are probably the two items that are at the top of our priority list.”
Siegrist said a finals appearance would also depend on how well the team is working together come playoffs.
“You’ve got to be gelling at the right time,” she said. “You need all the pieces. You need seven, eight deep of real strong players because of different lineups, stuff like that. You want to be able to feel comfortable every time with the group you’re putting out.”
The Wings are already looking ahead to 2025 by collecting information from the previous season, which ended with a 98-84 loss to the Aces, and strategizing.
“There are some complexities to go forward,” Bibb said, “not only for us, but for every team around the league as we head toward next year and beyond, because you’ll have an expansion draft.”
The WNBA is adding a 13th franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, in 2025. They’ll start to assemble an inaugural roster with a Dec. 6 expansion draft that Golden State the ability to choose from a pool of available players as designated by each of the WNBA’s current 12 teams.
Portland and Toronto will also participate in an expansion draft when they add WNBA teams in 2026.
“There are some other things on the horizon that just make the next couple years a little bit different and more difficult than a typical cycle of years,” Bibb said.
Big changes are coming for the Wings, too. In April, the Dallas City Council approved a 15-year, $19 million use agreement for the Wings to play in Memorial Arena, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center downtown, starting in 2026. The Wings’ home court has been at UT Arlington’s College Park Center.
Bibb said upcoming projects, including the construction of a practice facility, will create “more opportunity to generate revenue, more ability to impact the community and first and foremost, services to help our athletes be the best they can be, which ultimately leads to championships.”
The upcoming expansion drafts and the Wings’ pending move to Dallas are emblematic of the women’s basketball boom. In 2023, the Wings saw record attendance. The organization sold out season ticket memberships for the first time in its history, with individual ticket sales up more than 1,100%.
“I just knew it was a matter of time until the right set of circumstances aligned and the league really started to take off,” said Bibb, who’s been involved with the WNBA since 2007. “And that’s what’s happened the last few years.”
The president we need
Re: “A Prayer For Inauguration Day — Trump’s second term cannot be like his first,” Monday editorial.
When The Dallas Morning News editorial board writes that “we need a president who can rise above the worst parts of our politics and culture,” truer words were never spoken. Unfortunately, we don’t have that president. Instead, we have Donald Trump, a man with a long history of appealing to the very worst parts of human nature.
Since it is a given based on his history that he will not rise to the occasion, my prayer is that those in positions to do so will do what they can to mitigate the damage he will cause to the nation and the world. That his successor, whoever that eventually may be, will be able to undo the worst of what Trump manages. And that Trump won’t permanently blight the soul and the spirit of America.
Tom Desmond, Plano
Pandemic derailed Trump
While I completely agree with most of your statements, there was one point I do disagree with and that is the admitted chaos of Trump’s administration was the cause of his defeat. I think the worldwide pandemic that completely derailed our economy was the main cause. Until that happened, our economy was booming with very low inflation.
There were no new wars and our borders were under control. Presidential elections are mainly about the state of the economy. Had there been no pandemic, I think Donald Trump would have easily won a second term.
Les Gregory, Frisco
Seeking mercy
As I watch President Donald Trump’s nationally televised rambling speech to his supporters at the Capitol that immediately followed the inauguration, the deeply furrowed brow of Vice President J.D. Vance, who was standing behind him, said everything. This man’s thinking is very concerning. This man’s focus is completely on himself. This is dragging on forever. This is just plain embarrassing.
In summary, we have elected a very small person to be the president of the United States. He can lead a country club, but he has no business leading this great country. I hope embarrassment is the most we have to suffer in the next four years, but I am inclined to plead for God to have mercy on us all.
Greg Redish, Dallas
Did promises ring true?
Along with a lot of you, I watched the inauguration of our 47th president. I listened to all the exalted promises that would lead to a “golden age” of America and representation for all Americans. Patriotism, nationalism and the reassurance that God was on our side and we on his were all on display.
It is my prayer and hope that it will be even partially so. I only have one question: Did it ring true?
Ted M. Moore, Dallas/Preston Hollow
It happened on King Day
It is the ultimate irony that the person who vows to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs was inaugurated as U.S. president on the very day dedicated to the memory of a person, Martin Luther King Jr., who fought and ultimately gave his life for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Ronald Briggs, Lake Texoma
Fund food programs
Re: “New Year, New Farm Bill? The incoming Congress must do better for farmers and hungry Americans,” Monday editorial.
Kudos to The Dallas Morning News for this editorial. This is a classic example of Congress kicking the can down the road. The farm bill, planned to be passed every five years, is two years past that deadline.
This farm bill covers many important areas besides those related to U.S. agriculture. Domestic programs such as SNAP (food stamps) provides food from U.S. sources for low-income families and offers food programs to feed children in school.
International programs such as Food for Peace Title II, which not only provides food from the U.S. in instances of famine, but also strengthens agricultural production in low-income countries to prevent famine from developing, is currently being attacked by the misleadingly titled, “American Farmers Feed the World Act.” This is intended to destroy Food for Peace by preventing funding of programs in these countries to improve their agricultural production and stave off famine conditions.
Since the farm bill has passed several deadlines, many of these programs have no funds. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, on the House Agriculture Committee has tried to correct these issues but has been thwarted by the politics of our time. Texas senators and representatives, support Crockett’s effort.
Martin G. White, Dallas/Turtle Creek
Something’s rotten
Re: “Residents put city on notice — Locals urge council to reappoint officials who overstayed term,” Saturday news story.
Over 400 years ago, William Shakespeare wrote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Well, that seems to apply to the modern-day city of Dallas. Devyani Chhetri noted in her front-page story that the chair of the Dallas Plan Commission has been on the commission since 2013, coming up to 12 years. But the city charter states that members of city commissions are limited to four two-year terms — a total of eight consecutive years.
In the same issue, Matt Bach wrote a letter to the editor noting that the Plan Commission member from District 11 does not live anywhere near the district she is supposed to represent.
Last summer, the Pepper Square Coalition addressed the Plan Commission with over 50 speakers opposed and two in favor and one of those two was the developer. A survey of over 1,000 residents had 92% opposed to the rezoning.
But, the Plan Commission approved the developer’s proposal and sent it to the City Council whose actions were delayed only by a temporary restraining order requested by the Pepper Square Coalition.
Yes, something is rotten in the city of Dallas.
Edward Stone, Far North Dallas
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
The Dallas Cowboys’ search for their 10th head coach in franchise history may be coming to a conclusion in the coming days.
Thus far, Dallas has interviewed four candidates to replace Mike McCarthy, with Kellen Moore, Brian Schottenheimer, Robert Saleh, and Leslie Frazier each completing their meetings with the team over the last few days.
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However, there is one notable omission from that list – Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. And if you ask legendary college football head coach Nick Saban, Sanders is the man for the job.
“Me and Deion… I want him to get that job,” Saban told The Pivot podcast in a recent appearance. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Deion Sanders. First, he’s a great person, and he’s done a great job of marketing the program to create a lot of national interest.
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“He’s always been successful, whether it was at Jackson State, high school, or now in Colorado. His teams have always been well coached.”
To his credit, Saban does have a point.
In just two years with Colorado, Sanders has turned the Buffaloes from one of the worst programs in the nation, into a fringe Big 12 title and College Football Playoff contender.
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Before that, he also led Jackson State to a 27-6 record in three seasons, winning two SWAC conference titles in that time. He also was a two-time SWAC Coach of the Year and took home the SI Sportsman of the Year Award in 2023.
Of course, the NFL is a differnet animal than the college game whether it is as a player or a coach. Saban knows that as well as anyone.
That said, if someone with Saban’s credentials believes Sanders is ready for the NFL stage, particularly one as big as the Cowboys, we might want to listen.
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The Dallas Cowboys head coaching search is heating up, but Cowboys Nation is giving a lukewarm response to the moves.
Dallas’ search for a new head coach started with a bang when the team was linked to Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes rockstar coach Deion Sanders, but it has since returned candidates that aren’t moving the needle.
In recent days, the Cowboys have interviewed former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who is now leading the Philadelphia Eagles offense, and Leslie Frazier, along with a solid choice in Robert Saleh.
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And the latest interviewee is leaving fans even more unimpressed.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Cowboys are set to interview offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
Rapoport said, “Well-respected in the building, Schottenheimer has been an OC for more than a decade. Intriguing option to take the next step.”
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A Schottenheimer hire would be incredibly underwhelming for Dallas and Cowboys Nation, but he brings something that Jerry Jones values: familiarity.
Jerry Jones could also influence Schottenheimer to have Jason Witten added to the staff as a head coach-in-waiting, which was reportedly his plan with Mike McCarthy before contract negotiations stalled.
So, buckle up Cowboys fans, cause the team could be heading towards more of the same.
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