It seems the wings of Dallas have been cut off with Paige Bueckers out. They failed to get their second win of the season, struggling against the unbeaten Minnesota Lynx. They were bashed by Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride. Collier had 28 points and 10 rebounds, while McBride made six 3-pointers while scoring 21 points. After that embarrassing display where they lost 81-65, the team dropped to a 1-9 record. 

What was even worse was that Dallas finished with more turnovers (15) than assists (14), signaling that there was no teamwork or any sign of proper tactics. The team again struggled to convert around the rim and failed to play a complete game on either end. It seemed the attack was not working as they shot 29.2% from the field while committing 17 turnovers. Only two people had points above 10 for the Wings, with Arike scoring 26 and Maddy Siegrist scoring 15. No other player scored above 6 points. 

Beyond the box score, frustration is mounting. Fans and analysts have started to direct criticism at head coach Chris Koclanes, particularly questioning his timeout usage and overall game management, especially in contrast to Cheryl Reeve’s well-drilled Lynx squad. With minimal offensive flow, poor shot selection, and defensive lapses continuing to pile up, what particularly frustrated the fans from this game was Koclanes’ way of managing timeouts. 

Fans criticise Chris Koclanes’ lack of activity during timeouts

Koclanes has been under the gun since the beginning of the season. Since he is a first-time head coach heading a franchise that is newly under the spotlight, it was always going to be difficult. Fans have a measured approach to this season’s expectations considering their poor 2024 season. But they at least want effort and direction, considering their latest comments regarding their new coach.

The video of how each team treats their timeouts was the center of attention, which showed Koclanes talking to his assistants while the players were having a meeting of their own. On the other hand, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was instructing her players and they seemed to be invested in Reeve’s instructions.

“People can play in small cities, but they must not play in a bad team! I have never seen such a ridiculous head coach!” Wrote one fan.  We are enough games into the season that we can say that the Dallas Wings are comfortably the worst team in the WNBA. Arike is turning out to be a hit-or-miss player, struggling to adapt to their new system. She will hit 20 in one game while striking out under 10 in another. With Bueckers out, they have no proper point guard. Koclanes has had too many speed breakers for his first season and has been overwhelmed. 

“That’s what happened when you hire a hipster.” Wrote one fan. Koclanes was already a controversial and defensive hire considering his history. He was the defensive coordinator at the Los Angeles Sparks. They were ninth in defensive rating that season out of the 12 teams in the league that year. He went to USC to work in the same role in September 2023, and when they ended that season, they were 71st in team defense. That was his last job before getting a premier head coaching job. His hiring as a WNBA coach doesn’t really make sense with this record. The team hired Curt Miller as the general manager, and he’s the one responsible for Koclanes’ spot at the helm of this ship. They have a working relationship spanning eight years, because of which Koclanes’ hiring has been also called a case of favoritism.

“The players are always just standing around waiting for direction. He has no clue what he is doing. The coaches should not be huddled up together while the players are standing/sitting around waiting for their coach to direct them and come up with plays.” Analyzed another fan.

The remark that “he has no clue what he is doing” may sound harsh, but some of the numbers support that frustration. Dallas currently ranks ninth in the league in total points from assists (191), a sign that the offense is heavily reliant on isolation play rather than ball movement and teamwork. This lack of assisted scoring reflects poor spacing, limited player motion, and minimal tactical creativity.

Further concerns have been raised about Coach Chris Koclanes’ timeout usage, with critics pointing out delayed reactions and ineffective adjustments during critical moments. For a young team still trying to find its identity, these coaching lapses only add to the pressure. When players have to worry about figuring out tactics on the fly, their performance suffers even more. While another fan defended Koclanes’ way to handle timeouts.

“To be fair this is actually quite common among coaches to divert duties in certain situations to specific coaches. I’ve been to many WNBA games and have seen this with almost any team.Still, would like to see Coach Koclanes more involved and coach a bit harder.” Wrote another fan. While his coaching gets a lot of criticism, and deservedly so, this particular instance is pretty common. 

There is a reason each team has a backroom staff specializing in different parts of the game. Koclanes is a defensive specialist and has little idea about attacking sets as compared to an attacking specialist. He is still working on different parts of his basketball acumen. It is actually refreshing to see this, if it’s the case, as he is accepting his deficiencies and giving the right person the responsibility to give the instructions regarding their specialty. 

Given the team’s poor performance under Chris Koclanes so far, his position as head coach is already under serious scrutiny. Fans fear that Koclanes will slow down the development of their prized jewel, Paige Bueckers. She is supposed to be the torchbearer of the franchise and they want her to become the star she can be.  While he may be given the opportunity to finish out the season, it’s clear that if the Wings show no significant improvement, this could very well be his first and only year leading the team.