The Dallas Wings are beginning to find their groove, but it is still too early to say they have discovered their true identity.
After selecting Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick, the Wings entered the season with high hopes. While the rookie has played well, that early optimism faded quickly during a 1-11 stretch. Recently, however, Dallas has shown signs of improvement, winning four of its last six games, including a victory over the Washington Mystics without Bueckers in the lineup.
Head coach Chris Koclanes, who has faced heavy criticism throughout the season, has been candid about the team’s struggles. Even after the June 28 win, he admitted that he has yet to establish a clear identity for the group.
Chris Koclanes Calls Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale Dallas’ Centerpieces
The Wings’ team effort on Saturday night against the Mystics led to a 79-71 victory, marking their first win without Bueckers this season. JJ Quinerly and Aziaha James each scored 15 points, while Ogunbowale added 14 and Myisha Hines-Allen contributed 13.
Except for Ogunbowale, all eight Dallas players grabbed four or more rebounds. Coach Koclanes is relying on this style of balanced defense to shape the team’s identity, while focusing the offense around Ogunbowale and Bueckers.
“I’m searching still, we are searching still, for what our identity is as a team because it changes from night to night,” Koclanes said in the post-game press conference. “… It’s defensively we want to get up and guard the ball. I want us to be aggressive … defense and rebounding to keep us in games … offensively, we’re playing through Paige and Arike.”
Wings head Chris Koclanes says the Wings haven’t found their identity yet.
“I’m searching still. We are searching as a team for what our identity is because it changes night to night.”#WingsUp pic.twitter.com/FUmhhPlee0
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) June 29, 2025
Koclanes went on to confirm the obvious: Bueckers and veteran Ogunbowale were the centerpieces of his squad. However, he expects the other players to step up in their respective roles, as the opposing defenses will primarily focus on the two stars.
“Paige and Arike are constants, and that’s all defenses are going to focus on,” Koclanes said. “So I keep talking about our competitive depth and how that is our strength, and you’ve seen it. We’ve just got to win in all sorts of different ways.”
The Wings are building for the future, and Koclanes can afford to experiment more as he searches for the team’s identity. However, as he pointed out, they are getting closer and building their team around Bueckers and Ogunbowale, although slowly, and this approach is starting to pay off.
