Jose Fernandez has done it again! After ruffling feathers with his “selfishness” comments about the locker room earlier this season, the Wings head coach has now sparked another wave of backlash, and this time, fans think he may have gone a little too far with his blunt take on Awak Kuier.

“She’s got a good opportunity to go to Golden State and rebound and defend and protect the basket,” he said during the post-game press conference.

The comment came after the Dallas Wings fell 98-87 to the Indiana Fever on Friday. Paige Bueckers’ 29-point performance understandably grabbed most of the attention, but Kuier had a solid night too, finishing with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks while making her presence felt defensively. That’s why Fernandez’s response didn’t exactly sit well with Dallas fans.

Instead of talking about what Kuier had just done for the Wings, the coach appeared to immediately shift the focus toward what she could do in the upcoming game against Golden State.

“I’m sorry, he couldn’t think of ONE positive thing to say about her?? Even if he didn’t love her performance, he could’ve simply said he wants her to keep improving & working hard or something 😭 just disrespectful as hell,” one fan wrote on X. “The disrespect towards Awak is very nasty woah 🫩,” another added.

What makes the backlash stronger is the fact that this isn’t even the first time Fernandez has dragged team matters publicly.

And This Isn’t Fernandez’s First Public Callout

When Dallas lost 90-86 to the Minnesota Lynx earlier this season, despite holding a solid lead throughout most of the game, the Wings’ coach made it clear afterward that he wasn’t happy with what he saw from his players.

“I mean, it’s real talk, and it’s accountability. That’s what I told them,” Fernandez said. “There’s selfishness in this locker room. There is. You gotta look in the mirror and be accountable on how you play. And don’t get upset if you think you should’ve played more or you didn’t play enough or you didn’t get the shots you think you should’ve gotten. Really good teams, they don’t give a s— about that. You know what they give a s— about, they give a s— about winning, ‘cause that’s what matters.”

One could say this is his tactic, maybe. But if it is, it honestly can go both ways, because a coach publicly criticising their team can come back to haunt them. Other times, it can light the fire a team needs. And there are examples to back both these theories up.

For example, when University of Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said, “I have a team that’ll just quit on you,” after a brutal 43-point loss to South Carolina in February. Tennessee went on to lose eight of its final nine games and finished the season with zero players on its roster!

Then there is another case of Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, who also publicly called out his team after a 16-point loss to Vanderbilt, saying they had “no heart” and calling them “probably the softest team I’ve had in years.” The Longhorns responded by rattling off 12 straight wins and advancing to the Final Four.

Well, Fernandez will now hope that his blunt take gives the latter result. But whatever his tactic may or may not have been, his comments on Kuier have been viewed rather negatively by the Dallas fans, and there is a reason why fans have taken this rather very personally.

Why Dallas Fans Are Rallying Behind Kuier

Kuier has seen her role expand significantly since Jessica Shepard suffered a right ankle injury against the Minnesota Lynx on August 9. So with Shepard sidelined, the 24-year-old has finally received the kind of opportunity she had been waiting for, and in this period she has shown why she deserves an even bigger role in Dallas’ rotation.

She scored 14 points in a much-needed win over the Toronto Tempo, and although the Wings came up short against Indiana, her performance on Friday was another example of her defensive impact. Her length and presence around the basket made life hard for the Fever, particularly early in the game.

And that only made Jose Fernandez’s response harder for some fans to understand.

“He’s defended every other frontcourt player, but Awak never gets the same grace. She’s gonna be gone next year, and there goes their defensive anchor 🤷🏽‍♀️,” one fan wrote. “This doesn’t sound like someone who instills confidence in his player at all,” another pointed out.

Awak Kuier’s history with the Wings makes this situation even more interesting. Dallas originally drafted her in 2021, and she spent three seasons with the franchise before returning to Europe. After playing in the EuroLeague, she rejoined the Wings ahead of the 2026 season as Dallas desperately needed a rim protector.

Yet just like during her first stint in Dallas, Kuier’s opportunities have remained limited until an injury opened the door. And that is particularly confusing considering what she has done overseas

In the 2024-25 EuroLeague season, she averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. But rather than seeing the opportunity and turning it into a consistent role, fans are once again left questioning whether the Wings are making the most of her abilities.

“I’m confused bc I thought Awak did a good job at protecting the paint today,” another fan added.

With the Wings fighting to secure their playoff position, Kuier’s emergence could be crucial in this stretch. But for now, Jose Fernandez’s comments have left Dallas fans wondering whether the coaching staff sees the same potential in her that they do.