Up 16 and Still Out: The Golden State Collapse Should Shape Every Wings Move This Winter

By Danielle "Dee" Ortiz, RF Sports Radio WNBA voice

Wings fans, a week before the draft lottery that Dallas will skip, I keep coming back to one number from the season's last night. Sixteen. That is how many points the Wings led by in the second half of Game 3 at Golden State before losing 77-73. Every decision this winter should start there.

The facts

Per The IX Basketball's interview with general manager Curt Miller, Dallas went 27-17, was fourth in the league in offensive rating and led the WNBA in assists per game. The Wings were sixth in defensive rating, and Miller named defense as the biggest area for growth. The season ended on the road in a series-deciding Game 3 after Arike Ogunbowale's record-setting 45-point Game 2 forced the trip back to San Francisco.

Miller said re-signing restricted free agent Awak Kuier is "absolutely" a priority. He called Kuier, who led the league in block percentage, the best rim protector in the WNBA. He also left no doubt about the franchise player: "Paige Bueckers is a no-brainer, All-WNBA first team player," Miller said. He credited first-year coach Jose Fernandez's offensive mind and after-timeout play calls for the quick turnaround. Dallas holds two first-round picks. A McKinney Weekly summary of the interview quotes Miller's bottom line: "The overall theme is we've got to get better."

Off the court, Wings CEO Greg Bibb told KERA that Dallas will play all of its 2027 home games at American Airlines Center, moving from a little over 6,000 seats to nearly 20,000. The 2027 Draft Lottery is Sunday, Nov. 15, and Dallas is not in it.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: losing a 16-point lead in an elimination game is not an offense problem. It is a stops problem. The Wings could score with anybody. When the game tightened on the road, they could not get the one or two defensive possessions that close a series. That is the gap between a fun team and a contender.

That makes Kuier the easy call. Match any offer sheet. But it also means Miller's two first-round picks should be spent on defenders, not more shot creators. With Bueckers, Ogunbowale and Azzi Fudd, Dallas has enough guards who want the ball late. What it needs is a wing who can guard the other team's best scorer for 40 minutes.

I also want to see Fernandez's second-year adjustment. His offense was a top-four unit as a first-year WNBA coach. Now the staff has to build a defensive identity that travels to arenas like Chase Center.

Opinion: if the Wings walk into a 20,000-seat building next spring with the same defense, the AAC will feel bigger than the team.

What to watch next

Watch the Nov. 15 lottery for draft-board movement and any news on Kuier's restricted free agency. For Saturday's AAC and Kuier column, read our Nov. 7 AAC and Kuier column, and follow the winter on our WNBA Playoffs page.

Radio question: should the Wings spend this offseason chasing a lockdown defender, even if it means moving a scorer?

Sources: The IX Basketball - Wings GM Curt Miller talks 2026 season, offseason focus; McKinney Weekly - Wings GM Curt Miller puts Kuier and defense atop offseason list; KERA - Dallas Wings CEO says team has outgrown its arena; NBA Communications - 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery.