Dallas Wings HC Doesn’t Hold Back Clear Paige Bueckers Message to Locker Room After Worst WNBA 1–7 Record

“Talk about crashing consistently on the offensive end as that being a part of our identity.“As the team sinks to the lowest position on the regular season standings so far with a 1-7 score on the leaderboard, Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes is hopeful of making it to the playoffs. He has witnessed the on-court strengths of his team up close and knows that the Wings hold some of the strongest offences in the league. Coupled with the defensive rebounding, the team has the ability to claw back into the game. At least that is what the head coach feels.

And while he hopes to grab more rigorous wins this season, the one locker room athlete that has been struggling so far is none other than Arike Ogunbowale. First, dealing with a new coach and then with a rebuilt roster- everything was new for Ogunbowale after strong veterans like Natasha Howard made their respective exits from the roster. And when she was just getting used to Paige Bueckers’ presence in the paint, the point guard was sidelined owing to a concussion.

With Bueckers and her backup, Tyasha Harris, no longer on the roster, how is Ogunbowale finding her rhythm in the paint?

Koclanes referred to how the team has been helping Arike cope and ease into the season on the latest video of Grand Afseth and said, “I think just continuing to connect with her and help her; is it off the ball, is it on the ball. You know, it’s tough here when you’re playing without a couple point guards.”

Talking about the star player in the recent post-game interview, the HC addressed the issue and expressed that the current situation is difficult for the player as well as for the team, as they have been missing Bueckers and Harris’ absence in the paint.

“I mean just continuing to to find her her shots and her spots and her comfort whether that’s as the primary in the tunnel, is it on the wing, is it moving her,” Koclanes remarked on Ogunbowale. “You know, we’re exploring and she’ll continue to get more and more comfortable.” As Ogunbowale and the HC navigate and explore her positions in the ongoing games to revive her determination, grit, and confidence, Koclanes explained how her comfort is the primary concern of the team as of now.

Despite receiving ample support from coach Chris and the Wings, Ogunbowale’s teammates have more to share. Not just Ogunbowale but the entire Wings roster has been feeling the absence of the two guards. Forward athlete Myisha Hines-Allen shared her two cents on the importance of stepping up in the interview and said, “It’s important for everyone to step up, especially during this time right now. We’re missing two of our point guards so we’re kind of leaning on, well…we are not ‘kind of’, we ‘are’ leaning on Arike and Nai to lead us.” As the team stands on a losing spectrum with 7 losses in their belt so far, Myisha urges each Wings athlete to elevate their gameplay.

Moreover, Myisha clearly states that Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington are the only two players who have the ability and the capacity to lead the team. Not just that, the entire locker room relies on the two players to change their fate this season. Providing an example of DiJonai’s efficient playmaking abilities, she said, “What Nai does defensively, like she’s the head of the snake. So, I mean we’re leaning on a lot of players to step up and do different things that maybe if some players were playing they wouldn’t necessarily have to do.”

She praised Carrington’s defensive prowess and is hopeful that the athlete can create some fantastic defence opportunities and lead the team into a victory as other teammates improve their gameplay on the hardwood.

Chris Koclanes speaks out after third straight loss

As the newly appointed head coach of Dallas Wings, Chris Koclanes has faced turbulent times under the Dallas Wings. While the induction of the 2025 overall number one pick has brought some respite to the roster as she averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists for the roster. But the team has been facing issues ever since Bueckers was sidelined owing to a concussion.

After the Wings wrapped up their 8th game of the season against the Seattle Storm, head coach Chris was surprisingly proud of his team as he appeared for the post-match interview with Myisha Hines-Allen and DiJonai Carrington and answered the interviewers on where the team lacked.

Koclanes described Seattle Storm’s performance and said, “They just came out in the second half with a different energy about them and they were extremely efficient in that second half.” Despite the Storm gaining an upper hand in the second half with an efficient gameplay and energy on the court, Chris was proud of his team.

He pointed out how the Wings have come a long way as they displayed a much improved defence and stole the show in the first half of the face-off. “I liked our first half and then early I liked our defensive intensity,” Chris remarked. “I thought we did a lot of good things- our connectedness there. We disrupted Skyler and Nneka a little bit. You saw some good discipline disruption there, defensively.”

He appreciated his team’s efforts as they disrupted one of the strongest opponents like Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike and threw them off-guard. Needless to say, the Wings showcased a drastic change as Carrington scored 22 points against Gaby Williams’ 18 points, Allen added 12 rebounds against Ogwumike’s 9 rebounds, and Carrington made 4 assists as opposed to 7 dimes by the Storm.

Despite a thundering performance by the Wings and their attempts at pushing the losses behind them, the Storm clipped the Wings once again and snatched the victory in the second half. And as Dallas Wings stands 7th in the Western conference division with a three-loss streak, can they claw their way back and secure another win of the season? As the team gears up against the Los Angeles Sparks, things look hopeful and positive for Dallas Wings and HC Chris Koclanes.

The upcoming game against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 6 feels like a golden opportunity. The Sparks, also struggling after an 8-32 season in 2024, are a winnable matchup. Koclanes wants the team to carry forward their defensive grit, with Carrington leading the charge to shut down key players. With Bueckers possibly nearing a return, Koclanes is pushing the team to play with her energy, echoing her own words from training camp: “We’re building the foundation for what we look like this year and upcoming years.” A win here could be the spark the Wings need to turn things around.

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