The Dallas Wings Can Compete For A championship This Year
The Dallas Wings continue to impress, and at this point it’s fair to ask a serious question: outside of the Las Vegas Aces, does anybody in the WNBA actually have a higher ceiling?
I’m not sure they do. And yes, that includes the New York Liberty (currently +250).
Dallas went into Brooklyn Sunday afternoon and completely controlled the Liberty in a 91-76 statement win. This was not some random hot shooting night or fluky result. The Wings looked faster, deeper, more explosive, and frankly more difficult to guard over forty minutes.
The biggest reason is obvious. Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Arike Ogunbowale form the most dynamic scoring backcourt in the league. There is elite shot creation, perimeter shooting, pace, spacing, and basketball IQ all over the floor. Defenses are constantly under pressure because all three players can beat you in different ways.
And perhaps most importantly for Dallas moving forward, Fudd’s role continues to grow.
Her minutes are steadily increasing, and she’s becoming a fixture during crunch time. You can see the confidence building game by game. The movement shooting, floor spacing, and secondary playmaking she provides changes the geometry of the floor and creates opportunities for everyone else.
The frontcourt may not be dominant in the traditional overpowering sense, but it fits perfectly with what Dallas is building. Jessica Shepard has been outstanding and is becoming the glue that holds the entire operation together on both ends. She rebounds, facilitates offense, defends multiple spots, and consistently makes winning plays.
Alanna Smith still hasn’t fully found her groove in Jose Fernandez’s system, but that should scare the rest of the league more than comfort them. Her versatility and experience will eventually become a major factor once the chemistry fully develops.
And then there’s Awak Kuier.
Kuier has been excellent lately and gives Dallas an entirely different look offensively and defensively. Her length provides real rim protection, and offensively she can step outside and knock down perimeter shots. That combination opens the floor for the guards and makes Dallas incredibly difficult to match up against.
That’s the key with this roster: versatility.
The Wings can throw multiple highly effective styles at opponents. They can play fast. They can spread the floor. They can go bigger. They can pressure defensively. They can win through guard play or attack with balance. The depth and diversity of the rotation is unique, especially for a team this young.
And they are improving quickly.
Of course there will be clunker performances along the way. Young teams rarely avoid that. But by the time the postseason arrives, nobody is going to want to deal with Dallas in a playoff series.
This team has talent, depth, chemistry, high-level character, and rapidly growing confidence. They are learning how to thrive together in real time.
There is still 25-to-1 floating around in parts of the market to win the title.
That’s a great buy.
