Remember when the Wings were actually good? Back in 2023, they put together a solid 22-18 season and even made it to the semifinals for the first time since moving to Dallas from Michigan in 2016. Then the 2024 season happened. They lost 11 straight at one point, couldn’t stop anyone on defense, and kept choking in close games. So, desperate to bring a turnaround in his first season, head coach Chris Koclanes pinned his hopes on a pair of rookie guards, JJ Quinerly and Paige Bueckers, bringing them aboard ahead of the 2025 season to spark a revival.
However, now in 2025? Same story, different year. Despite the infusion of talent, the Wings remain shackled by familiar demons, chief among them being a defense that falters when it matters most. Koclanes had banked on JJ Quinerly to be one of the game-changers, his trust on full display when he said, “She’s tiny but she plays way bigger.” He was praying for her to help the franchise recover from being placed last in the opponents’ field goal (47.3) and beyond the arc shot (36.5) percentage in last season. And now, with Bueckers and Ty out, a lot of the pressure falls on Quinerly’s shoulders, while she navigates the challenges of adjusting to a new position.
Considering that Quinerly has also been thrust into the lead point guard role, a position that demands more than just hustle, one interviewer could not help but ask her, “What do you how do you feel about your comfort level in that position (lead point guard role) right now? And what are things that you’ve seen yourself improve on and want to continue to improve on?”
As expected, she did not sugarcoat her answer, saying,” I played point guard before in college. One in the two, but it’s a different game of course.” Valid, W is altogether a different league. She added, “So definitely starting to um figure out the comfortability with that first group. And with Arike and trying to get her the ball and get her to her spots. And of course everybody else on the court.” She’s undoubtedly embracing the challenge, but this team just folds in crunch time.
With the worst record this season, the extent of the Wings’ struggle is way too evident. Twice during this losing streak, Dallas had fourth-quarter leads, and they just blew them. First, they gave Chicago its first win by going scoreless in the final two minutes. Then against Seattle, they were up five with 8 minutes left before completely falling apart. These breakdowns, all too familiar, stem from the same Achilles’ heel: a lack of sustained defensive fire.
It’s a problem Quinerly herself flagged in the postgame presser after their loss to the Lynx. She said, ” I think our defensive intensity like it was in that uh third quarter, I think if we keep building off that, we’ll definitely get better for sure.” Her point was simple: when the Wings lock in defensively, even for a single quarter, they look competitive.
And to fix that, JJ Quinerly needs to bring that same defensive intensity to Dallas that terrorized opponents at West Virginia. Back in her college days, she averaged between 2.6 to 3.1 steals/game, ranking among the top in the NCAA. During her junior year, especially, coaches routinely threw her at the other team’s top scorer, trusting her to lock them down on the perimeter. But will Quinerly’s energy be enough for Dallas to rise from the rock bottom they just hit?
Concussion protocol isn’t the only thing Bueckers and Co. needed to worry about
The Wings just haven’t been the same without Paige Bueckers. Before she went into concussion protocol in late May, the rookie was balling out. She was putting up nearly 15 points, 5 boards, 7 assists, and 2 steals per game through her first six appearances. Team doctors finally cleared her last Saturday. Coaches expected her to return against the Sparks on June 6.
However, she then came down with an illness that kept her out of Sunday’s game against Minnesota, too. Now she’s officially listed as “Out” again. And Dallas is feeling her absence big time on both ends of the court. The Wings have dropped all three games since her concussion, and that ugly record shows how much they need her.
Even Koclanes did not hold back in his self-assessment, saying, “Poor, just trying to figure it out and it seems we can’t get everybody on the same page. No, I’m not going to make excuses, I won’t chalk it up, it hurts when you don’t have a Paige and a Ty Harris…”
Whether it’s setting up teammates, scoring at the rim, or making plays on defense, Bueckers’ absence was screaming. The team is sincerely hoping that she can finally get back out there for their next game. And honestly, with the state they are in, they cannot afford to have even one player missing.
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