Dallas Wings replaced Chris Koclanes with Jose Fernandez in October 2025 after a rough season. And he has wasted no time setting his goals for 2026.

With a fresh coaching perspective, Jose Fernandez has entered the conversation, and his plans for Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings are big.

"We will do things the right way from day 1," said the new coach.

This starts with what Dallas has on hand. A number 1 draft pick for 2026. He's already working on this, as Jose Fernandez recently went to Connecticut for scouting potential pick Azzi Fudd.

"One of my visits [was] to go see a young lady that everybody's talking about as a prospective draft pick. I was there for three days, watched them practice, watched them play Ohio State, and spent a lot of time with [Geno]."

As per Take Flight WNBA on X, Fernandez is all about building a championship culture. And has made this abundantly clear on various interviews as well as his introductory press conference.

“Short-term [goal]: get into the playoffs immediately,” Fernandez said. “Can’t win a championship without getting to the playoffs, so that’s number one, right? And that’s going to be the expectation.”

While there were some highs, like Paige Bueckers' 44-point performance against the Los Angeles Sparks and ROTY honors, the lows were significant. Arike Ogunbowale had her worst season average as the Wings finished last in the league and Western Conference standings with a 22.7 WL%.

Fernandez clearly stated his aim during the introductory press conference. He said, “Change is coming, and we’re going to win."

So what's the plan of action for the Dallas Wings?

With the CBA negotiations deadline nearing and free agency in play, the priority for the Dallas Wings is to rebuild the team, filling its positional needs first.

The Wings are going through their 5th coaching change since 2019, but GM Curt Miller is certain that he has the formula correct this time.

"He is known for putting his players in a position to succeed. Lastly, as the game and WNBA continue to become global, no coach in this country has recruited and successfully coached international players better than Jose. I can’t wait to partner with Jose and support his vision for our Dallas Wings," said Miller.

However, only time will tell if the 2026 season will work in favor of Paige Bueckers and her squad.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi