Curt Miller Breaks Down Dallas Wings’ Rebuild, Luisa Geiselsöder’s Arrival, Paige Bueckers’ WNBA Debut, and More

Miller explained the team’s decision to hold her spot despite the uncertain timeline.

“She was in an elimination game in the quarterfinals. We had a flight booked. She advanced to the semis. She was in an elimination game in the semis, and we had a flight booked, and she advanced to the final. And then they’re down 0–1 in the championship, and then they win two consecutive games to win the championship,” he explained. “So there were many opportunities for Luisa to get here, and while we were disappointed she couldn’t get here earlier, we were happy with her run.”

“I Appreciate the Command”: Curt Miller Impressed by Paige Bueckers’ Debut

Despite a 99–84 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the season opener, Paige Bueckers showed poise in her first professional appearance. She recorded 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, and opened the scoring with a putback layup on her own miss.

“I’m not gonna critique the basketball near as much, but you know, I just—I appreciate the command that she has of the game,” Miller said. “And again, we’re just gonna get better and better. They’re all learning to play with each other. Training camps are so fast. But I’m just really excited about the potential. This group is gonna look a lot different in July than they do in May.”

Bueckers joined a starting lineup that included Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, Myisha Hines-Allen, and NaLyssa Smith. Four of the five reached double figures in scoring, with Ogunbowale leading the team with 16 points and four assists, while Carrington scored 15 points and Hines-Allen added 11. Meanwhile, Maddy Siegrist chipped in 11 points off the bench.

“We Have No 30-Year-Olds”: Youth Movement Defines Dallas Wings’ Identity

With one of the youngest rosters in the WNBA, the Wings are leaning into player development and internal growth. The team’s reset has created opportunities for emerging talent to take on expanded roles, and Miller is eager to see how the group matures over time.

“I’m just excited about watching this group, right?” Miller said. “We have no 30-year-olds. We’re asking players maybe to have a higher role than maybe what has been asked for many of them in the past. And I look forward to watching them embrace that and see if they can step into those opportunities.”

He continued, “I think this is a team with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. It’s just gotta give them some time to gel and blend. It’s all new terminology. It’s an all-new system. But I’m excited about our core group and look forward to it.”

The youth movement is intentional. Dallas returned just three players from last season and made significant additions: rookies Bueckers, JJ Quinerly, and Aziaha James; veterans like Hines-Allen, Tyasha Harris, and Kaila Charles; and international standout Geiselsöder.

“With four true rookies on the team—a third of your team as rookies—we’re the second-youngest team as the season starts in the league,” Miller added. “We know there’s gonna be some growing pains, but excited to watch it all come together.”

“It Was a True Media Room”: Momentum Builds Off the Court, Too

The home opener drew a sold-out crowd at College Park Center and marked the second straight sellout for Dallas, following their preseason finale. Miller noted a noticeable shift in media coverage.

“When I walked into the media room, I was like—that was a true media room,” he said. “It’s never been that way before here. And it was really nice to see—even in my decade here with some of those great Connecticut teams and in the Finals—even in some of the Finals, you didn’t see that many media in a postgame press conference live.”

He added, “It’s a fun time here in Dallas. And again, success is gonna be defined in many ways this year. It’s not always gonna be by the win, but many other ways too. And it was great to see the turnout media-wise after our opener.”

The Wings are developing a state-of-the-art practice facility and relocating arenas to the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, targeted for 2026.

“What I’m excited about is the development behind the scenes of what now everything specifically looks like in and outside of the building,” Miller said. “Just to be in the process and included in all those steps—Greg’s doing an amazing job leading the way. I will just tell you that practice facility is gonna be special.”

“I’ve Got My Own 14-to-16 Hour Days”: Curt Miller on Stepping Back from Coaching

Miller, who spent over 20 years as a head coach at the collegiate and professional levels, is now entirely focused on his role as the Wings’ executive vice president and general manager. After leading the Connecticut Sun to two WNBA Finals appearances and earning two Coach of the Year honors, he stepped away from coaching following the 2024 season. As he settles into his first full-time executive position, Miller reflected on the transition away from the bench and the new demands of front office leadership.

“What I’ve shared with a bunch of people is—I have no regrets. I don’t sit there and want to be Chris,” he said. “What at times is the hardest for me is wanting to help Chris—because we coached together so long, we have a lot of the same philosophies, we have a lot of the same terminology. I know what he’s teaching out there, and his staff—it’s gonna be great. But I find myself wanting to help him, not be him. I want to try to help him, but stay in my lane.”

“I had this job from when I was a dual hat. The job now as a GM is all-encompassing, and I got my own 14- to 16-hour days to worry about—with everything else,” he continued. “And first and foremost, that’s always player experience and trying to create an unbelievable opportunity for players to play here in Dallas.”

When asked how his postgame routine has changed since stepping away from coaching, Miller offered a candid look at how his responsibilities and mindset have evolved. Instead, he serves as a resource for Koclanes to utilize as he goes through his first season as a head coach.

“Certainly wasn’t kept up all night watching film. I could wake up the next day and watch film with no regrets that I didn’t rewatch it immediately,” he said. “It was checking on the coaching staff, it was checking on how was the game day—things in the arena that maybe fall under my umbrella. There were things still that I was checking off my things-to-do list, but certainly not watching film and sleepless nights after a third quarter like that. You know, I would’ve been up for hours and hours and hours dissecting it. Now, I can just be a support network for the coaches, and obviously, all the other activities that happen throughout the night that I had to deal with.”

The Wings return to action on Monday, May 19, when they host the Seattle Storm at 7:00 p.m. CT at College Park Center. The game will be broadcast locally on WFAA and nationally on NBATV.