The long-standing respect between new coach Jose Fernandez and star Paige Bueckers is about to become the Dallas Wings’ most critical asset in reshaping their roster. The duo has come across each other multiple times during their college careers, where Paige played for UConn, and Fernandez served as the coach for South Florida. Fernandez also holds Paige in high esteem and went public by calling her “special.” So it’s no surprise that Fernandez wants to have Paige on board for making roster decisions.

“I think it’s very, very important when the CBA gets done, and that’ll kick off free agency, the expansion draft and all that other stuff where I am sure she’s going to be involved in a lot of things that myself and the front office in regards to the roster and I think really getting a feel for her on what she likes with the ball in her hands, off the ball so I think as we lead into getting everybody here in Dallas for training camp.”

“Her and I will be on the page on what we see on both ends of the floor,” revealed Fernandez as to the level of involvement Paige Bueckers will have during his coaching days on the No Offseason podcast. With negotiations underway pertaining to the CBA, and the present deal reaching its final term, the WNBA will have a lot of issues to sort out. The stipulated date for this discussion has been set for January 6th, 2026.

Quite interestingly enough, Jose also has a longstanding relationship with Paige Bueckers’ former college coach, Geno Auriemma. Jose recently met Geno and Paige in Tampa. Speaking of the encounter, he says, “I just recently saw them in Tampa, which was very good to be able to do that. We went out to dinner the night before.”

For Fernandez, the Dallas Wings guard is not just a franchise player; he looks at her as a co-architect who will help him in every step of the rebuilding process. And Dallas needs Paige and Jose to be on the same “Paige” (pun intended) more than ever now, after a dreadful 2025 season (10-34), which also resulted in the sacking of the former coach, Chris Koclanes, and ushering in a new coaching era for the Wings.

Can the Dallas Wings Thrive Under Their New Coach?

Chris Koclanes probably bit a little more than he could chew when he signed up with the Dallas Wings. Yes, he was part of the USC Trojans when they went to the playoffs, but he served as an Assistant to head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. This was not surprising, considering he was still green around the ears when it came to coaching an entire team, and that ultimately became quite evident when the team collapsed hard even after boasting big names like Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Di’Jonai Carrington.

As a result, the Dallas Wings got clipped, and it couldn’t soar. Koclanes was fired on the back of a .227 W-L record (10-34). Dallas felt the immediate need for a change, and thus, Jose Fernandez came to the rescue – a veteran coach with his multitude of experience.

“Jose is one of the most respected veteran coaches in women’s basketball. He is a proven winner and has built sustained success for over two decades at USF. Jose consistently produces professional players and is regarded as an excellent developer of talent. His colleagues from across the country constantly credit his teams for their preparation and grit, while continuously raising the bar for success on the court,” said Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller, behind their reason to sign him.

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Yes, several players, in fact, whom he has mentored have achieved great success in the WNBA. Courtney Williams (two-time WNBA All-Star for the Minnesota Lynx) and Kitija Laksa ( current Phoenix Mercury guard) are some of the names worth mentioning.

What’s most interesting here is the fact that the upcoming WNBA season will also be Jose’s first time coaching outside the college circuit. He is also the recipient of the AAC Coach of the Year (2017-18,2020-21) and has a great career statistic as a coach – 485 W – 317 L with a W/L percentage of .605.

So yes, the possibilities of Dallas doing well seem very much a reality. The chances for the team playing in the The team even has a chance to make the Final Four. Now we simply wait for the games to begin.