Dallas Wings GM Reveals Bold Locker Room Demand To Compensate For Paige Bueckers & Co.’s Major Disadvantage

When many were focused on crafting strategies to win it all, Chris Koclanes and the Wings weren’t really following the herd. Since Day 1 of training camp practice, the Wings ramped up preparations with high energy and only one focus. “We’re continuing to talk about not getting ahead of ourselves and not skipping any steps,” expressed the head coach. And it all made sense, considering the major rebuild the Wings have gone through, with only three players returning from last year’s roster. But is the mindset still the same, considering it has already left the team with a loss in the season opener? No doubt, it is, but with a unique approach.

It all came up when the Wings’ first game of the 2025 season was spoiled by a 99–84 loss and the team’s defensive shortcomings. Notably, the Wings finished dead last in defensive rating in 2024, and this offseason, they promised that would change. They brought in DiJonai Carrington—an elite stopper, the reigning All-Defensive First Teamer—to help anchor the perimeter. And then, HC Koclanes talked big time all preseason about “defensive identity,” “anchors,” and “not skipping steps.” But under the bright lights, Dallas looked like the same leaky ship.

And that’s something that allowed the Lynx to score 99 points, the highest mark of the W’s season so far. And their dominance wasn’t just about that—81 of those points came in the first 30 minutes. The main problem for the Wings was letting the Lynx get into the paint for easy shots. It was right after the Wings experimented with “small ball lineups”—NaLyssa Smith at the five, Myisha Hines-Allen at the four, Maddy Siegrist sliding to power forward. In theory, that should help a defense, right?. But on Friday, it just gave Minnesota mismatches that were easy to dominate. And that’s why the GM made a pretty bold demand.

“We have no 30-year-olds. We’re asking players to take on higher roles than many of them have had in the past. And I look forward to watching them embrace that and see if they can step into those opportunities,” he shared after the season-opening loss.

And all that makes sense. Sure, the Wings still have Arike Ogunbowale leading the charge, but losing Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard in the offseason without adding any All-Star-level replacements has clearly left a gap. This is a young team, full of new faces, a new coach, and growing pains that come with that.

Hearing Miller, it is clear that the team now knows that they have to balance their short-term and long-term goals. They didn’t go full rebuild—even with the No. 1 pick—so the bar should be higher, and some urgency should be there. And, if they want to stay in the mix this season, fixing their defense as soon as possible has to be priority number one. And that’s why Miller wants these players to take on higher roles. But even with utmost urgency, it will take some time, as Miller said, “I think this is a team with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. They just need some time to gel and blend. It’s all new terminology. It’s an all-new system. But I’m excited about our core group and looking forward to it.”

And he is not wrong.

Dallas Wings GM understands the arrival of Paige Bueckers as a case of “growing pains”

As part of their rebuild, the Wings selected four rookies in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Of course, one of them was No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers—but drafting big names doesn’t immediately translate to wins. “With four true rookies on the team, a third of your team is rookies… We know there’s going to be some growing pains, but [we’re] excited to watch it all come together,” the GM admitted.

And honestly, it all makes sense. Wings have played three games until now, two preseason and one regular season, and have ended up losing two of them. While former Huskies sensation got to play in all three of them as part of the starting lineup, she had 10 points each against Lynx and Aces, and 15 points against Toyota. Why?? Rookies often take more time to adjust compared to veterans. While vets are already familiar with the league’s physicality, rookies often struggle to find their rhythm early on.

“Paige is going to have to make the adjustment,” Miller said in an interview with The Time. “The speed of the game, the rules of the game, the physicality, is all different. The veterans aren’t going to take it easy on the rookie.”

It’s nothing new—we saw the same thing with Caitlin Clark. Even though she had early struggles, she adapted over time. That’s exactly what the GM is hoping for with Bueckers. And guess what? Headline-grabbing stats might not be there, but Bueckers is already showing signs of promise.

Now the real question is: How long will it take for this young squad to find its groove?