The Dallas Wings dropped their fifth straight game on Sunday, falling 81-65 to the Minnesota Lynx at home. The loss pushed Dallas to 1-9 on the season, the worst record in the WNBA.
But it wasn’t just the result that drew attention. Star guard Arike Ogunbowale raised eyebrows after dodging a question about head coach Chris Koclanes and instead praising assistant coach Nola Henry.
Arike Ogunbowale Praises Nola Henry While Avoiding Discussion on Chris Koclanes
When asked directly about Koclanes’ performance amid growing fan criticism, Ogunbowale said: “We’re all in it as a team and we’re still going every day… Getting better every day.”
The lack of a direct answer was notable, especially when compared to Ogunbowale’s enthusiastic support for Henry.
“She’s young, she’s hungry, she has a really great basketball mind,” Ogunbowale said of the 31-year-old assistant. “She’s been really important for us.”
Video clips of the interview in question: https://t.co/Ayua5lSBAz pic.twitter.com/DuSwIxBWpR
— Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) June 8, 2025
Henry has reportedly taken on a hands-on role with player development. She’s often seen working with Ogunbowale and others before tipoff, and her age has helped her build trust with the locker room.
Meanwhile, Koclanes has openly admitted the team’s poor start. “Poor. Just trying to figure it out, and it just seems like we can’t get everybody on the same page,” he said, per Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints. “I’m not going to make excuses… It hurts when you don’t have a Paige [Bueckers] or a Ty [Harris]… Myisha [Hines-Allen] has struggled here past couple days, haven’t been able to help her find a groove.”
On Sunday, the Wings made some adjustments. Luisa Geiselsöder and Kaila Charles got their first starts of the season. But with missing pieces and chemistry issues mounting, questions are being asked, especially when the team’s leading scorer appears to sidestep direct support for her head coach.
Frustration Grows As Dallas Falls to 1–9 Without Bueckers and Others
Dallas trailed by just one point heading into the fourth quarter but failed to score a field goal until 4:39. They were outscored 24-9 in the final frame.
The Wings were once seen as a fringe playoff team after adding No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, DiJonai Carrington, and NaLyssa Smith to a roster already led by Ogunbowale. But instead, they’ve posted one of the league’s worst defenses and continue to struggle offensively.
6/8 WNBA results:
Napheesa Collier recorded her 5th straight double-double as the Minnesota Lynx (9-0) defeated the host Dallas Wings (1-9) 81-65
Brittney Sykes dropped 17 of her 28 points in the 3Q as the Mystics (4-6) DOMINATED the Connecticut Sun (2-7) 104-67 in Washington pic.twitter.com/XMxv1BxJ2B
— AllThingsWNBA (@AllThingsWNBA) June 9, 2025
Carrington insists the locker room is still intact. “Even though we’re losing right now, there’s no problems in the locker room,” she said via Brianna Jade on X. “We were talking about this today, it’s not like ‘Ugh, I gotta go to work.’”