Dallas Wings, part 2

[WiseWillie]

Does the Dallas management know how to build a team? Do they know the type of players needed to build a winning program? What is the game plan, if any.

I didn't see a lot of growth with this team. Defense was poor. Offense was questionable at best. Too many injurie

Curt Miller was both general manager and coach while with Connecticut. Built some really competitive teams in Connecticut, including a WINBA Championship finalist. Not sure if he held that role while with Los Angeles.

All true however is not Miller responsible for hiring Koclanes who was never a head coach and many maintain is not qualified at this point to be HC? Did he let a close personal friendship cloud his judgment as to the type of person and experience needed to coach a young team? Nothing against Koclanes who seems very personable but based on the evidence this year is he the right person for the job? There is an answer for the Wings as far as choosing the right team makeup and coaching: Whatever and however the Valkyries did it, do the same thing.

 

[cancontent]

All true however is not Miller responsible for hiring Koclanes who was never a head coach and many maintain is not qualified at this point to be HC? Did he let a close personal friendship cloud his judgment as to the type of person and experience needed to coach a young team? Nothing against Koclanes who seems very personable but based on the evidence this year is he the right person for the job? There is an answer for the Wings as far as choosing the right team makeup and coaching: Whatever and however the Valkyries did it, do the same thing.

Yes and these are fair questions to ask. Everyone is aware that past performance doesn't guarantee anything in the future. Time will tell whether his judgement was clouded with respect to Koclanes and if his long term future with the team is affected.

To me, it seemed that the pool of available coaches wasn't as large as teams may have hoped for this year. Who knows, maybe they're taking a page out of Indiana's book and holding off until the 2026 - 2027 season?

 

[Cuango]

I doubt she will leave the Northeast again. I'd like her to become the 6th UConn coach.

You mean, head coach?

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

No she quits on her teams , nobody is touching Tina with a 10 foot pole unless its desperation. No true contender is offering Tina any type of big money to Join . Shes already burned half the league . Conn , NY , Sea , Phx , DC , ATL . Conn were the only ones to give her a 2nd chance . Retirement should be her next move . Rather have Young Talent like Angel personal issues and all instead of an older one who quits .

I am not sure whether your contention that she has burned bridges with all 6 former teams is rooted in fact and not borne of a snowballing Internet bad game of telephone.

Tina’s career path in teams &1 is typical of a former #1 pick, former MVP, Olympic team member until she begged off from consideration in 2024 except for one: she is the greatest WNBA’s W25 member without a WNBA championship:

• The only credible “burning bridge” blemish I am aware of was the 2022 Phoenix contract divorce (the year Britney Griner was detained in Russia, robbing Phoenix of its dream team; Skylar was also in Phoenix that year and apparently a lot of things were a mess);
• To be fair, Tina was choosing before the 2022 season which team to join between Seattle and Phoenix, and the team which had a greater chance at a championship was probably also a factor in that decision and revisiting that decision;
• But Tina and Phoenix did not officially air dirty laundry about the contract divorce;
• I am not aware of Tina badmouthing any former team and teammates.

There are three seasons after 2022: one (2023) in which Tina sat out the WNBA, one (2024) in which Tina played for Atlanta for the first time, one (2025) in which Tina returned to CT where she played for her first 6 years.

• None of her former contending teams not named Phoenix, had need of a former MVP center in 2024 or 2025;
• Apparently fans (such as in ATL and CT) appreciate Tina more than the media does (as borne by the lack of publicity on Tina’s new records).

So, apart from Phoenix, who else among her former teams did she have time to burn bridges with?

&1 She was cored by NY in 2018, 2019, 2020. And she was getting paid “real money” by CT in 2025.