Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers looks on during the second half against the Phoenix Mercury. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Who would Dallas Wings protect in WNBA expansion draft?

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Dallas Wings are getting ready for an expansion draft for the second straight season.

After the Golden State Valkyries entered the league last season, this year will bring on the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. Last year, the Wings had to protect six players from being selected, but that group should be different this season.

Here's a look at the six players the team could protect going into the expansion draft:

Paige Bueckers

No surprise here. Bueckers is the lead guard for the Wings and their franchise player. The Wings are building around her, making an easy choice for the team when choosing its first player to protect.

JJ Quinerly

Quinerly just underwent surgery on her meniscus earlier this month, but their third-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft is one of the key parts of the team's future.

Quinerly averaged 6.5 points per game in 34 appearances with the Wings this season.

Aziaha James

James, another 2025 rookie, is another lock to be protected in the expansion draft. She averaged 7.5 points per game as a first-round pick.

She is expected to be one of the key role players the Wings build around over the next few years.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Diamond Miller

Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, was acquired midseason by the Wings in a trade that sent DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx.

While Miller didn't play much with the Wings in the latter half of the season, averaging only 12.7 minutes per contest and 3.9 points per game, it's hard to deny her talent as a young player to build around.

Maddy Siegrist

Siegrist emerged as the third-leading scorer for the Wings behind Bueckers and free agent Arike Ogunbowale, so she should be safe from any expansion draft as she has one more year on her contract.

Li Yueru

The rest of the Wings are free agents, but Yueru is an exclusive rights free agent, which means Dallas has the final say in whether she can join another team or not.

Yueru is the team's best big, so she should have a spot secured on the team next season.

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

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