The Dallas Wings didn't have an ideal conclusion to this past season, finishing tied for the league's worst record at 10-34, even with the addition of No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers winning the league's Rookie of the Year Award at season's end.
With the offseason in full swing following the conclusion of the WNBA Finals, which saw the Las Vegas Aces sweep the Phoenix Mercury in four games to win their third title in four seasons and prevent the Liberty from going back-to-back, the league's parity leaves more questions than answers.
Fox Sports attempted to answer the way-too-early question about the league champion for next season. If the betting odds are of any indication, it is going to be an uphill battle for the Wings to win a WNBA title, let alone sniff a series appearance.
Out of the 15 teams (including the two expansion teams in Portland and Toronto), a sprinkle on the Wings is a decent payout, at least according to the odds provided via BetMGM. The Wings are one of two teams at +4500, meaning a $10 bet would payout $460, which is the same as the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
Nonetheless, though, it's clear Bueckers is ready for the future and wants to push toward completing a turnaround.
“I think the best teams who succeed and win championships are teams that want to fight and go to war with each other, and are essentially a family," Bueckers said via Dallas Hoops Journal last month. "To be able to really enjoy being around each other, enjoy coming to work — that’s the most exciting part, honestly.”
Bueckers says she's excited to see how she evolves moving forward, recognizing that she is the face of the franchise.
"I think just expanding in all areas,” Bueckers added. “I feel like there’s improvement in every single area of basketball—it’s impossible to reach perfection. So everything.”
The Wings are still in search of a new coach, as they let Chris Koclanes go at the end of the season. Given how young Bueckers is and how much hype was around her throughout her rookie season, the Wings must be set up for future success, given how much the team will continue to rely on Bueckers' greatness night in and night out.
For now, though, the odds are stacked against Dallas.
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