The Dallas Wings had serious chances for the 2025 regular season, or so we thought. The team had the pack, the No. 1 overall pick, and a passionate head coach. But the season looked nothing like expected and concluded with only league-worst 10 wins. As a result, the Wings fired first-year head coach Chris Koclanes and went on the hunt. Now, amid the search process, Geno Auriemma has some serious advice for the front office.

Aware of the coaching Paige Bueckers, Wings’ cornerstone, needs, Auriemma said at the Big East Media Day, “I told Paige this the other day: A great player can play for any coach…Now, if they get a coach that doesn’t believe in and doesn’t have a collaboration with Paige, then that would be a difficult journey.”

Well, everyone knows better than to not trust Aureimma’s words.

Ever since Paige joined UConn, he’s been by her side, tracking her development over five years and watching her guide the team to its 12th national championship (the program’s first since 2016). Their connection extends beyond the court, too. Off the floor, they share a warm, father-daughter-like bond. So when it comes to understanding PB’s coaching needs, there’s probably no one better suited than him.

Auriemma added, “I think there are a lot of coaches out there that would be really, really good for her, and she’d be good for them. But it has got to be someone where there’s mutual trust… Embrace what the pool is, talk to all of them-whoever they are-and it’s like recruiting. Recruiting the person you want that has the qualities that [you want].”

It’s true that luring high-profile coaches amidst new teams entering the league will not be easy. And the Wings’ record, plus the fact that they are now looking for their third coach in five years, won’t help at all. However, as Geno warned, you have to “talk to all of them”. 

Also, as history proves, they might be better off doing that, especially after all the nepotism claims that surfaced after Koclanes’ hiring. Per many, he clearly did not have the “qualities”. Notably, Sheryl Swoopes had questioned the hiring without holding anything back.

“So I am not going to put all of the blame on Chris. No. Because Curt Miller, this is your hire. I mean, if the GM goes to someone and says, ‘hey, will you come be my head coach,’ if I really want to coach, I’m not going to say no,” Swoopes had blasted right at Curt Miller, further substantiating that his hiring was not at all about qualifications. “It’s one thing to be buddies, to be friends, to be whatever, and I get it, trying to look out for your homeboy, your homegirl. But this is about wins and losses.”

Well, Koclanes has experience as an assistant at USC and later as a defensive coordinator in the WNBA, but he’s never been in charge of a pro team, not even as the lead assistant. So why was he picked for the Dallas Wings head coach role?

Koclanes and GM Curt Miller have a long history. Their paths first crossed in 2016 when Miller brought Koclanes onto the Connecticut Sun staff as a video coordinator. By 2019, Koclanes had moved up to defensive coordinator, and in 2023, he followed Miller to Los Angeles. Now that Miller was running things in Dallas, he brought Koclanes along again, this time as head coach. But his candidacy seemed weak when fans considered who else was in the mix.

Reports suggested that Lisa Leslie was also in contention for the Dallas job. Leslie had also confirmed that she applied for two WNBA positions but didn’t get either. “Maybe you’ve been an assistant coach for 20 years. That doesn’t necessarily mean you will be a better coach than I would be or than Lisa would be or someone who did the things that she did. That one is such a mind-boggling thought to me,” Swoopes had added.

This is the qualification and qualities part that had Swoopes criticizing the front office, and one that has Geno Auriemma warning them.

Now, with PB and another top pick in the 2026 draft, the Wings have the opportunity to change the narrative, to build a foundation for a future title run. Given the stakes, PB should play a key role in the head coach hiring process, as Geno has emphasized.

What are the options for PB as of now?

Ever since Chris’s firing on September 30, the Wings’ hunt has been at its peak-and yes, we have some candidates. To start with, there’s Sandy Brondello, the winningest coach in the WNBA and the former head coach of the New York Liberty. She’s experienced with winning, playing with star players, and leading a championship run.

Then there’s former Atlanta Dream head coach Nicki Collen. The 2018 WNBA Coach of the Year is well known for her stint with the Dream, during which she led the team to a 23-11 record, then-franchise best. Apart from these two, there’s Jose Fernandez, the longtime Florida head coach who was a finalist for the position last offseason, and Dave Joerger, a current assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Joerger has held two NBA head coaching positions-first with the Grizzlies and then with the Sacramento Kings. Then there’s Coby Karl, the son of former NBA head coach George Karl. As of now, Coby is serving as an assistant coach at Boise State. So yes, there’s a lot of talent in the pool.

Will PB and the Wings be able to make a favorable gamble? Stay tuned to know!