Dallas Wings, part 2

[WiseWillie]

My best ideas come from the Catbus in my neighbor’s garage.

Mr. Miyazaki will be happy to hear that.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

On the plus side, the Wings are clearly Paige’s team now. Just about everyone likes Paige, many players know her personally and most would love to play on the same team with her.

The minus is of course that playing with Paige comes with playing in Dallas, a franchise that has struggled mightily in recent years. If GM Miller can sell enough solid veterans that Dallas is the up and coming place to be, the Wings might just be a “much improved team” next season.

I feel, with one asterisk &0, Dallas is indeed, with deliberate unhaste, moving on from being probably the worst of a prior league-wide system that produced an institutional class of underdeveloped/ underused young players.

Paige’s attracting contagious joie de vivre and foundational talent greatly help.

It is a new GM’s dream environment when all tools in their toolkit are available in a compressed timeframe without the usual multi-year Rube Goldberg roster construction contraption.

Miller has been making the most &1 of said dream environment:

• 2025 Draft: #1 Paige
• 2026 Draft: Best Odds at #1 (Azzi?)
• 2027 Draft: 2-year W-L system opportunity &0; 2 first round picks;
• New CBA: Better GM-friendly rules? (salary cap, wnba prioritization (Awak+Lou)?, more roster spots?, etc.);
• UFA holiday shopping — all except the newly cored UFAs, including on the 2 expansion teams, if applicable CBA rules remain the same — are available for Dallas who only currently have cheap contracts; whether UFA targets are non-sticky and gettable especially from current super teams is another question.

&0 Selling Koclanes as the coach of a dream team built around Paige is indeed tricky.

&1 The Aces weren’t built in a day.

 

[Bigboote]

My best ideas come from the Catbus in my neighbor’s garage.

20 or so years ago I got home and my 3-year-old daughter greeted me on all fours going "ROWWR". She had a stuffed Catbus as big as her at that point. She had three different size Totoros. Her car now has a bumper sticker "My other vehicle is a moving castle."

 

[oldude]

I feel, with one asterisk &0, Dallas is indeed, with deliberate unhaste, moving on from being probably the worst of a prior league-wide system that produced an institutional class of underdeveloped/ underused young players.

Paige’s attracting contagious joie de vivre and foundational talent greatly help.

It is a new GM’s dream environment when all tools in their toolkit are available in a compressed timeframe without the usual multi-year Rube Goldberg roster construction contraption.

Miller has been making the most &1 of said dream environment:

• 2025 Draft: #1 Paige
• 2026 Draft: Best Odds at #1 (Azzi?)
• 2027 Draft: 2-year W-L system opportunity &0; 2 first round picks;
• New CBA: Better GM-friendly rules? (salary cap, wnba prioritization (Awak+Lou)?, more roster spots?, etc.);
• UFA holiday shopping — all except the newly cored UFAs, including on the 2 expansion teams, if applicable CBA rules remain the same — are available for Dallas who only currently have cheap contracts; whether UFA targets are non-sticky and gettable especially from current super teams is another question.

&0 Selling Koclanes as the coach of a dream team built around Paige is indeed tricky.

&1 The Aces weren’t built in a day.

Good points all. Although I will suggest that if she declares herself eligible for the draft, Spain’s athletic, 19 year old, 6’4” Awa Fam will be the #1 pick in the draft next year. Fam is a great scorer and defender in the paint, and maybe the best passing big I’ve seen in a while. This past year she was the MVP in both the EU under-18 and under-20 championships.

 

[Bone Dog]

20 or so years ago I got home and my 3-year-old daughter greeted me on all fours going "ROWWR". She had a stuffed Catbus as big as her at that point. She had three different size Totoros. Her car now has a bumper sticker "My other vehicle is a moving castle."

Our house has been awash in Totoro gear too. Miki even had a Totoro backpack when she was in elementary school courtesy of grandma. But the prize was a May doll.

 

[Bald Husky]

On the plus side, the Wings are clearly Paige’s team now. Just about everyone likes Paige, many players know her personally and most would love to play on the same team with her.

The minus is of course that playing with Paige comes with playing in Dallas, a franchise that has struggled mightily in recent years. If GM Miller can sell enough solid veterans that Dallas is the up and coming place to be, the Wings might just be a “much improved team” next season.

Yeah, that's the rub alright. Playing in a 6000 seat mid-major arena, no practice facility, team with a questionable head coach. A lot to think about for any good player to try to look to the future of this team. They just passed the legislation to build their practice facility (I thought it was already in the works), and the renovated arena in Dallas has been pushed back to the 2027 season. So, next year will be the same situation, and Paige has to use her influence to get some of these players here. I doubt any really great players will come, and any really young guns are under contract for four years. I was against Angel coming there, but despite taking a chance of killing the good locker room vibe, she and Paige would work well together. You would think that Angel would demand a hefty price by the Sky to get her here, but with her attitude, they may be discounting her price to get her out. The problem here is that you can't discount her talent, so is the attitude the straw that breaks the camel's back or can Paiges influence actually change her to become a more team oriented player. It could be that she only needs a running mate, someone from her generation with enough talent to match hers. The Wings need a lot, so this off season will definitely very interesting.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Yeah, that's the rub alright. Playing in a 6000 seat mid-major arena, no practice facility, team with a questionable head coach. A lot to think about for any good player to try to look to the future of this team. They just passed the legislation to build their practice facility (I thought it was already in the works), and the renovated arena in Dallas has been pushed back to the 2027 season. So, next year will be the same situation, and Paige has to use her influence to get some of these players here. I doubt any really great players will come, and any really young guns are under contract for four years. I was against Angel coming there, but despite taking a chance of killing the good locker room vibe, she and Paige would work well together. You would think that Angel would demand a hefty price by the Sky to get her here, but with her attitude, they may be discounting her price to get her out. The problem here is that you can't discount her talent, so is the attitude the straw that breaks the camel's back or can Paiges influence actually change her to become a more team oriented player. It could be that she only needs a running mate, someone from her generation with enough talent to match hers. The Wings need a lot, so this off season will definitely very interesting.

Arena

“According to the parties' initial agreement, the American Airlines Center was listed as an alternate, backup venue for the team in the event of a delay in the move to Memorial Auditorium.” When will the Dallas Wings move to new Downtown Dallas arena? | wfaa.com

“Bibb  after the news conference noted that the Wings “will continue to play games at UT Arlington’s College Park Center in 2026,””
Dallas approves Wings practice facility, reveals renderings

Practice Facility

There was an originally planned practice facility near Memorial Auditorium. However, construction in 2026 conflicted with a FIFA event. The newly planned practice facility will open in April 2026 in time for next season’s training camp.

“[T]he April 2024 agreement with the Wings “binds the city to its duty to provide the facility on time,” and the city “wants to bring designers on board quickly to fit the team’s needs.” City Council approves new Dallas Wings practice facility, set to open next season

 

[WiseWillie]

Good points all. Although I will suggest that if she declares herself eligible for the draft, Spain’s athletic, 19 year old, 6’4” Awa Fam will be the #1 pick in the draft next year. Fam is a great scorer and defender in the paint, and maybe the best passing big I’ve seen in a while. This past year she was the MVP in both the EU under-18 and under-20 championships.

Can check FIBA website but do you have or know where to find videos of Fam playing?

 

[oldude]

Can check FIBA website but do you have or know where to find videos of Fam playing?

Just google Awa Fam and there are a bunch of videos on her. One in particular is a Eurobasket game between Spain & France where 19 year old Fam scores 21 points, blocks a bunch of shots and drops several dimes, while matched up against 24 yr old Iliana Rupert of France & the Valkyries.

 

[darrell]

Good points all. Although I will suggest that if she declares herself eligible for the draft, Spain’s athletic, 19 year old, 6’4” Awa Fam will be the #1 pick in the draft next year. Fam is a great scorer and defender in the paint, and maybe the best passing big I’ve seen in a while. This past year she was the MVP in both the EU under-18 and under-20 championships.

My thoughts exactly. Unless Dallas has a “win now” offseason, attracting All-Star caliber bigs, Fam is the best move to pair with Paige for a rebuilding phase.

 

[WiseWillie]

Just google Awa Fam and there are a bunch of videos on her. One in particular is a Eurobasket game between Spain & France where 19 year old Fam scores 21 points, blocks a bunch of shots and drops several dimes, while matched up against 24 yr old Iliana Rupert of France & the Valkyries.

Thanks. After looking at her videos, can see why you are impressed. Fam is athletic, has excellent footwork, plays heads-up with spot-on passing, can run the floor like a guard and her blocking ability in the paint is definitely intimidating. Now all that needs to happen is for her to declare for the draft and hope the Wings think the same because Fam is exactly the type of young motivated player with obvious talent that with Paige Dallas can build upon.

 

[WiseWillie]

Thanks. After looking at her videos, can see why you are impressed. Fam is athletic, has excellent footwork, plays heads-up with spot-on passing, can run the floor like a guard and her blocking ability in the paint is definitely intimidating. Now all that needs to happen is for her to declare for the draft and hope the Wings think the same because Fam is exactly the type of young motivated player with obvious talent that with Paige Dallas can build upon.

As a follow up, what is noteworthy is that Fam does not need to formally declare for the draft. It's my understanding that an international player's draft rights are available to any team once they meet the age requirement which to be eligible for the next W draft the international player must be 20 in 2026. Fam will be 20 in 2026 making her eligible for the draft. She will definitely be an attractive prospect.

 

[BobbyJ]

Just google Awa Fam and there are a bunch of videos on her. One in particular is a Eurobasket game between Spain & France where 19 year old Fam scores 21 points, blocks a bunch of shots and drops several dimes, while matched up against 24 yr old Iliana Rupert of France & the Valkyries.

If you were Miller and had the choice of either one, would you take Fam or Betts?

 

[oldude]

If you were Miller and had the choice of either one, would you take Fam or Betts?

Fam and it’s not even close. Fam’s upside is Stewie. Betts upside is Cardoso.

 

[WiseWillie]

Fam and it’s not even close. Fam’s upside is Stewie. Betts upside is Cardoso.

There will surely be those who might disagree citing Betts' impressive stats last year but after watching Fam's basket of skills I would have to agree with old dude that Fam is a better choice.