Aug 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) walks off the court after the Wings lose to the New York Liberty at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

How does Wings hiring Jose Fernandez impact upcoming free agency?

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 7:37 PM ET

The Dallas Wings have announced that they have hired Jose Fernandez to be the next head coach of the franchise. They desperately need stability at a position that hasn't had much of it, as no head coach of the Wings has lasted longer than two years since 2018. Fernandez was at the University of South Florida for 25 years, which is about as stable as it gets in that profession.

Dallas already has the superstar to be a successful organization, as Paige Bueckers looked incredible in her first season in the WNBA. They now hope to have a coach who can be a program and culture builder in Fernandez. But there is still a lot that has to change before the Wings turn into contenders.

It starts with the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA hands out draft lottery odds based on the records of the last two seasons, and the Wings have the worst combined record over that time, so they'll have the best odds to win the lottery. And there are some very talented players at the top of next year's draft, headlines by UCLA's Lauren Betts and Spain's Awa Fam.

The Wings also have 10 pending free agents and will likely have a lot of cap space to play with. Among those headlining the team's free agency are Arike Ogunbowale, Li Yueru, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Haley Jones. How does the hiring of Jose Fernandez impact their free agency plans?

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

It All Starts With Arike Ogunbowale

Ogunbowale is clearly the biggest decision the Wings have to make from here. She's a four-time WNBA All-Star, even winning the All-Star Game MVP in 2024, and is clearly a talented player, but she had her worst season of her career last year, averaging 15.5 PPG while shooting 30.4% from three, both career-low marks.

That led to some fans wanting the Wings to trade Ogunbowale before the deadline, as they thought she wouldn't be able to fit alongside Paige Bueckers. However, the Wings seem to believe a change of system will be best for all parties.

It also helps that one of Arike Ogunbowale's college coaches came out in support of Jose Fernandez once the decision was made.

From there, Li Yueru seems likely to return after the Wings gave up two draft picks for her, picks that they didn't necessarily need to part with. Even if they draft a center like Lauren Betts at the top of the draft, bringing someone back like Yueru as depth could be a good idea.

This article first appeared on Dallas Wings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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