Dallas Wings Tabbed WNBA's Most Improved Team as 2026 Season Tips Off
The 2026 WNBA season tips off Friday night with the kind of electricity the league has been chasing for years.
The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are hunting another title, the Indiana Fever enter the season carrying massive expectations around Caitlin Clark, and expansion teams Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire look to shake up the standings as the WNBA enters its 30th season.
But as opening weekend arrives, one team has quietly stormed into the center of the conversation, the Dallas Wings.
Dallas opens its season Saturday against Indiana in a high-profile showdown between two franchises built around generational basketball talents.
Paige Bueckers versus Clark is already becoming one of the league’s defining rivalries, and now the Wings are entering 2026 with a growing belief around the WNBA that they may be the sport's biggest riser.
That momentum hit another level Friday when ESPN's Alexa Philippou highlighted Dallas as the team she is most excited to watch and noted that two-thirds of WNBA general managers voted the Wings the league's "most improved" team heading into the new season.
“With new coach Jose Fernandez and a revamped roster now featuring Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard, Dallas was one of the most exciting teams to watch this preseason. And there are other positive signs the Wings are ready to take a big step forward,” Philippou wrote.
“After a stellar rookie campaign, Bueckers is poised to thrive even more, with increased talent surrounding her and an improved system in which to operate.”
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Despite Dallas finishing just 10-34, Bueckers immediately looked like a franchise centerpiece. She averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, won Rookie of the Year, made the All-Star team, and shattered multiple league rookie records.
Bueckers was the only player in the WNBA to rank in the top ten in points, assists, and steals per game, and she was the only player to score 40+ points in a single game, erupting for a rookie record 44 points against the Sparks on August 20.
The front office clearly recognized that wasting another year of her development would be dangerous.
The Wings hired longtime South Florida coach Jose Fernandez to replace Chris Koclanes, signaling a philosophical shift toward pace, spacing, and offensive creativity.
Alanna Smith arrived after becoming one of the WNBA's premier defenders in Minnesota, while Jessica Shepard added frontcourt versatility and rebounding.
And then Dallas doubled down on star power.
After winning the No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year, the Wings selected former UConn sniper Azzi Fudd, reuniting her with Bueckers.
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Dallas desperately needed shooting after finishing near the bottom of the league in three-point efficiency last year, and Fudd's arrival could unlock entirely new layers of spacing around Bueckers and veteran scorer Arike Ogunbowale.
The preseason only amplified the hype.
Dallas went 2-0 against title contenders Las Vegas and Indiana, averaging nearly 100 points per game and looking dramatically more fluid offensively.
Bueckers appeared more comfortable commanding the floor, Smith instantly upgraded the defense, and rookie Aziaha James flashed serious scoring upside off the bench.
Realistically, Dallas is probably still a tier below the Aces, Liberty, Dream, and Fever in the championship hierarchy entering opening weekend. But the Wings are no longer just building for the future. They’ve assembled a young core that expects to win right away.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 12:48 PM.