We are back for another week of WNBA season previews. Aside from the draft, the rosters are set. So once a week until the season is back, I will be looking at one team. I will discuss their changes and what to expect from them this season.
To build up, I will be going in reverse order from the standings a season ago. This week, the Dallas Wings are under the microscope. After winning the first playoff game since moving to Texas, stability and positivity should overflow with the Wings.
If you believe that, you do not know the Dallas Wings.
2022 Recap
Dallas, like New York, has been looked at as one of the teams on the precipice for a few seasons. After drafting Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally in consecutive drafts before adding the top two picks in 2021 (Charli Collier and Awak Kuier), Dallas looked to be building for the future.
Last season, Kuier, Collier, and Sabally played a combined 200 minutes less (733) than Ogunbowale (941) last season. Sabally, as has unfortunately been common, missed plenty of time due to injury. The second-year bigs, however, struggled to gain the consistent trust of then-coach Vickie Johnson.
The season turned for the better when they moved offseason acquisition Teaira McCowan into the starting lineup full-time. Before the move, Dallas was 10-13 on the season with offensive e ratings of 101.6. Over the last 13 games, the Wings won eight and improved to an offensive rating of 110.0, second best in the league over that span.
Allisha Gray, Kayla Thornton, and Isabelle Harrison brought their typical veteran excellence to a team that needed every bit of it. Marina Mabrey became a full-time starter and a knockdown sniper. But there was always something hanging over the team. A cult of personality, if you will.
Arike’s World, For Better or Worse
Arike Ogunbowale is an exceptional offensive talent. She has never finished outside the top five in scoring, leading the league in her second season. Disruptive in passing lanes, Ogunbowale also forces plenty of turnovers. She is one of the marquee tough shot makers in the league.
She is also just a bit reckless. Her shot selection leaves something to be desired. Taking the most shots per game of anyone in the league, Ogunbowale had a good season this year, shooting just 40 percent from the field.
This Dallas team needs a leader at the center, and Arike, at least through her age 25 season, has improvements to be made on that front. Whether it be dumping water bottles on the floor or kicking everything in sight (basketballs, commentary desks, pick your poison), Ogunbowale was a regular topic of discussion for the wrong reasons. As someone who is supposed to be the leader of a team, this is obviously a suboptimal look. As reports grew that Vickie Johnson was not in control and both Gray and Harrison indicated they wanted out, something more stable would have gone a long was to building beyond the last month of the season. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Offseason Overview
Out: Tyasha Harris, Kayla Thornton, Allisha Gray, Isabelle Harrison, Marina Mabrey
In: Natasha Howard, Crystal Dangerfield, Diamond DeShields, Kitija Laksa
Re-Signed: Tierra McCowan
2023 Draft: #3, #5, #11, #19, #31
Obviously, this is a fair bit of roster turnover for a team that seemed to have found itself over the last third of the season. Gray and Harrison made it clear that they would not be back. As much as they will be missed, ending up with the third pick in the draft plus a future first is a boon.
Thornton has been the defensive anchor for this team, but turning her and Ty Harris into All-Star Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield was an intriguing move. Howard can be just as impactful defensively and should pair well with Ogunbowale should she become a more active passer.
Marina Mabrey will be missed. She grew into quite a shooter getting paired over the last two seasons with her college teammate. Again, though, signing and trading her for multiple first-round picks and Diamond DeShields is smart. DeShields was clear that she was still going through plenty last season. If she is able to recapture any of her All-Star form this is a strict upgrade for the Wings.
Yet again, they have control of the draft. With three first-round picks, they could cheaply fill out the rest of their roster and continue building the foundation for the future. Howard and DeShields are high-quality additions who have won at the highest level. With new head coach Latricia Trammell finally getting her shot to run a team, things may be looking up.
Prediction
Dallas is going to continue to improve. If Arike Ogunbowale can embrace the leadership role her supporting case needs, she could become one of the faces of this league. Her brand of hero ball is not for everyone, but it can be electric. Howard, DeShields, McCowan, and Sabally provide plenty of help.
Even if the overall product is better, Dallas is still unlikely to move up the standings much. Satou Sabally will be healthier than in years past and will push for her second All-Star appearance. Awak Kuier will dunk in a game. Charli Collier will be moved this season. Haley Jones, who I predict will be drafted third overall, will finish second in Rookie of the Year. Despite another early playoff exit, Dallas may be on the right track.
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