The 2025 Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers’ postseason accolades just continued to pour in. But while Bueckers’ season was a win-win, the Wings, as a team, can’t say the same. They ended the season tying the league-worst record with the Chicago Sky, and this creates urgency.

We’re not the ones saying it, NBA announcer Michael Grady is. During a recent episode of Good Follow, Grady was asked who he sees as the face of the WNBA. He admitted it’s tough to pick just one name with so much talent in the league right now. And while he praised A’ja Wilson, he also mentioned Paige Bueckers, saying he loves her game and shared what her team would need to do if they even want to dream of making her the league’s ultimate face and thus, taking their team to new heights.

“I had so much fun watching Paige hoop. And I’m in Minnesota right now where she came up and honed her skills. And she was such-she’s just got a different energy when you watch her play. And, and she can, I mean, she can put you in a blender with her handle. She’s got a great mid-range game. She’s a three-level scorer,” he said, before putting forth a challenge for the Wings.

“And I’m, I’m, I’m excited to see that if Dallas can continue to put a team around her, then we can really see her shine in big moments. But I’m a fan of so many, so many players around the league.”

Well, carefully phrased, but the statement clearly suggested that the right environment could allow Bueckers to maximize her impact. And no doubt he’s right. PB had a blast for a rookie season, and with the right pieces around her, she could really explode. 

She was named to the 2025 All-WNBA Second Team after winning WNBA Rookie of the Year, AP Rookie of the Year, and AP All-Rookie Team. No doubts there, after all, she was the only player in the league to rank inside the top ten for all three major categories {scoring (5th with 19.2 points per game), assists (9th with 5.4), and steals (6th with 1.6)}. Her total of 692 points and 194 assists both ranked third among all rookies in league history. And on August 20 against the Los Angeles Sparks, she set a new rookie benchmark with a 44-point performance, the highest single-game total ever recorded by a first-year player.

So, if you call her a prodigy, it won’t be an exaggeration. But besides that, she has already shown committed trust in the “rebuilding” process, saying, “It’s challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you just being super process-oriented and not result-oriented….And how we want to have a set of standards, build a culture, and have a way we do things and stick to that, regardless of wins or losses, and trying to build what that looks like for this team”.

So, now, it’s time for the front office to put their all into making that process successful. Thankfully, they finally seem to be making moves.

The Wings’ gamble with Chris Koclanes as the HC wasn’t successful this year. Therefore, after tying for the worst record, the Wings parted ways with Chris Koclanes. Well, that was a smart move, especially since the former head coach was often criticized for his inexperience in handling W, not just by fans but even by popular names like Sheryl Swoopes. The Wings didn’t just fire the former coach-they hired Jose Fernandez, according to reports by SB Nation’s Mitchell Northam.

Well, Jose had been a finalist even last season, and while he’s from the NCAA, he’s one of the most respected coaches in the business. He’s been at USF since 2000, with a 485-317 record. Not just that, he hasn’t dipped below .500 since 2011 and has taken the university to the NCAA tournament in 9 of the last 13 seasons.

And the best part of his coaching guidance is that he doesn’t rely on the stars. It’s his structured offensive system that offers a lot of success, so yes, a great hire, indeed. 

But what about the roster?

The Wings have a big offseason ahead of them as they focus on the Paige Bueckers era. Mainly, she’s the primary building block moving forward. But this time it will be a little tricky, as the Wings have a whopping 10 players set to hit free agency this offseason. These include marquee names like Arike Ogunbowale, who struggled this past season with a career-low shooting performance.

For the Wings, balancing talent retention and roster upgrades will be crucial to contend in the upcoming season. So, we may see some players like Li Yueru and Haley Jones coming in to prove depth, while others could be replaced to complement PB. But nothing is certain except that PB’s not taking the backseat. 

As the GM told DallasHoops Journal earlier this season, “Paige wants to be involved in recruiting players to Dallas….Arike also initiates free agency conversations with me. It’s exciting that your two best players consistently want to talk future. She’ll pick up the phone and call me-‘What about so-and-so?’”

So what do you think? Who’ll stay and who’ll go?