Dallas Wings HC Sends Wake-Up Call to Paige Bueckers & Co. After Detailing Locker Room Crisis

When the Dallas Wings entered the 2025 regular season campaign, the team was looking for a turnaround. New coach, a mix of youth and experience in the likes of Arika Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington, and the city’s hope in Paige Bueckers. But despite nine games into the season, the enthusiasm is rarely reflected in their 1-8 record. Yes, they added yet another loss to the L4 streak. But, unlike last time, Coach Chris Koclanes isn’t hoping for any good this time!

It all comes up as Paige Bueckers and co. entered the College Park Centre to lock horns against the LA Sparks. But, while fans were hoping to see the team carry the defensive effort seen against the Seattle Storm, wherein they had a two-digit lead by the fourth quarter’s final minutes, Wings turned out to be a huge disappointment.

The team dug itself into a hole by giving up 11 unanswered points. And this one may have been the worst yet. Sparks shot an eye-popping 55.6% from the field, going 35-of-63. While Dallas did manage to out-rebound LA 35–30, they gave up 50 points in the paint, a clear indication that their interior defense was virtually nonexistent. And this isn’t all.

Transition defence was another major weakness. Sparks scored 19 fast-break points compared to Dallas’ 13, fueled by the Wings’ missed shots and turnovers. Although both teams committed 15 of the latter, LA capitalized better, converting theirs into 16 points, while Dallas struggled with communication.

And that was how the team ended up adding a loss that marked Wings’ third game in their current four-game losing streak, in which they’ve allowed opponents to score over 90 points. But HC? He saw it coming already! “Just trying to figure it out, and it seems like we can’t get everyone on the same page… it hurts when you don’t have a Paige or a Ty Harris… now you’re asking DiJonai to play point guard… but tonight she struggled… we will continue to fight and believe, and we will turn the tide,” he shared.

 

Chris Koclanes on Dallas Wings

“Just trying to figure it out and it seems like we can’t get everyone on the same page…it hurts when you dont have a Paige, or a Ty Harris….now you’re asking DiJonai to play point guard…but tonight she struggled…we will continue to fight and…

— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) June 7, 2025

Missing Paige Bueckers and her 14.2 points per game, the Wings have turned towards Carrington for the offensive load. The young guard led the team in scoring for the second night in a true PG’s absence and recorded 4 dimes both times. Still, it was evident that it’s not her natural position, as she turned the ball over seven times. Arike Ogunbowale is aware of the struggle all too well.

“It’s tough not having a point guard,” she had echoed. “Obviously, we’ve been without a true point guard for the last two games. So hopefully we’re gonna get Paige back, and we get a little bit of rhythm.”

Of course, no single player can carry the offense alone, and the bigger issue remains a collective defensive failure, with a 107.1 rating that ranks them 11th in the league. But, this time HC didn’t stop at just identifying what went wrong!

Dallas Wings HC’s got a warning for players, too!

The starting lineup is just falling short for the Wings. Take seventh-year veteran and last year’s leading scorer, Arike Ogunbowale, for example; she went 0-for-3 from the field early on and ended the game with just eight points on 4-of-10 shooting. But she wasn’t alone. NaLyssa Smith finished with zero points and only two rebounds in seven minutes of play, while Allen and Siegrist contributed just four points each.

Together, the starting unit could only manage a combined 32 points, far from what the team needed. The coach is making an observation there. “We have depth, we should not be afraid to play it… everybody can contribute and be given opportunities. If we’re not consistent in our details… there are players on the bench who are going to go out there,” the coach shared.

May 31, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) controls the ball against the Chicago Sky during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

And that depth showed up in a big way. The bench unit poured in 47 of the team’s 79 total points, that’s 60% of the Wings’ offensive production. Leading the charge was J. Quinerly, who scored 14 points in just 16 minutes while shooting an efficient 5-of-10 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line. But she wasn’t the only standout.

Teaira Geiselsöder also impressed, posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. “[Geiselsöder], one, [brings] a consistent energy and effort,” coach Koclanes noted. Well, no doubt, given more time, she could become an even more impactful player. So yes, the Wings clearly have depth. But is that enough to secure wins? While it didn’t translate into a victory against the Sparks, it could very well become a turning point in the games to come.

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