When the Dallas Wings drafted rookie guard Paige Bueckers in the 2025 WNBA Draft, fans believed things might finally be turning around. After finishing 9-31 last season, the team looked to Bueckers, a standout talent, to inject life into a franchise desperate for direction.
Just a few weeks into the season, though, those early hopes are already fading. The Wings dropped to 1-11 after collapsing down the stretch of an 88-84 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, who were without star center A’ja Wilson, on Friday, June 13. They were outscored 17-2 to end the game.
One opportunity that could have stopped that run of the Aces was likely lost due to the head coach, Chris Koclanes’ mistake, prompting the fans now to call for his sacking.
Where Did Chris Koclanes Get His Strategy Wrong?
The Wings were cruising towards their second win of the season when they opened the third quarter with an 18-0 run to turn a nine-point halftime deficit into a 58-49 lead with Bueckers and DiJonai Carrington leading from the front. The Wings built a lead as large as 13 points at one point, but Las Vegas cut it to 70-64 by the end of the quarter.
The Wings stretched their lead to eleven points early in the fourth quarter, but following an Aces timeout, Las Vegas went on a 17-2 run to close the game. Dallas allowed four turnovers and four offensive rebounds during that run, helping the Aces score 14 of those points from the free-throw line.
One key moment that would have potentially stopped the Aces’ run came with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Jackie Young was coming off back-to-back free throws when Carrington fouled her on a call she thought should have been a jump ball, and despite the 2024 Most Improved Player of the Year pleading to her coach to challenge the foul, nothing happened.
It’s not the only time Koclanes was asked to challenge a foul, and he didn’t.
This was the play right before they called timeout in the above incident, for those wondering pic.twitter.com/0xoNCWfFkP
— HoopHer (@HoopHerSpeaks) June 14, 2025
Koclanes admitted the mistake in a post-game interview and revealed he should have used the challenge in the final three minutes, which is where most of the fouls happened.
“Had a challenge, I probably should have used one of them there before three minutes because I also had another timeout that you lose it anyway,” he said.
Fans Call For Sacking Of Wings Head Coach
The Wings were still leading 82-79 before the foul, and had Koclanes agreed to Carrington’s plea, it would very likely have been termed a jump ball. However, Young didn’t miss the free throw, and the lead was reduced to just one point, turning the momentum in the Aces’ favor. As the Wings eventually fell 84-88, fans couldn’t help but express their anger on social media.
Are you seeing what I’m seeing 👀 pic.twitter.com/4UQbKReiQq
— HoopHer (@HoopHerSpeaks) June 14, 2025
“No type of reflecting will change Koclanes, he’s an inexperienced fool who shouldn’t have been granted that responsibility in the first place. Fire the entire coaching staff while we’re at it,” a fan wrote.
“He’ll be fired soon. Too much talent on that team to be 1-11,” another fan wrote.
He’ll be fired soon. Too much talent on that team to be 1-12
— LAKERS OVER EVERYTHING (LOE) (@thee1LOE) June 14, 2025
“His players don’t trust him,” commented another fan on Carrington’s frustration. “DC was obvi frustrated in general, but also she would’ve never done that w Stephanie White.”
Another fan argued that Carrington was fouled because of her reputation for drawing fouls, but in the incident mentioned at 82-79, it wasn’t a foul.
“He’s horrible, because she was right OTH times, UT they may not have won the foul on Jackie that should’ve been an obvious jump ball. She got the foul call strictly on her reputation, and Vegas getting a lot of home cooking from the refs, too,” wrote another
However, Carrington committed a total of six personal fouls and four turnovers, leading many to argue that the coaching staff was not entirely to blame.
“Lol she got 6 fouls inna 4 q and you got a bunch of dykes in the comments blaming the coach,” wrote one user.
“Maybe they should have challenged it, but she DAMN sure shouldn’t have been on that side of the court screaming when she needed to be on defense. Idk man…I don’t think that team works well together. I think everyone would be better off with some trades,” argued another.
The Wings have spent years trying to build a consistent identity, but this is nowhere near what the fans expect of them. What was supposed to be a fresh start is already feeling like a rerun of past seasons.
Unless something changes, whether that’s a shift in strategy, improved effort, or a change of the head coach, Dallas could be staring down another lost year.
This time, there’s no excuse. The fans are watching. The pressure is mounting. And the clock is already ticking.