WNBA 2023 Free Agency Primer: Dallas Wings running it back?

The Dallas Wings have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons but have yet to advance past the first round. Can they upgrade to make a deeper run?

WNBA free agency opens up in February, with qualifying offers going out this week. The Dallas Wings don’t have many free agents on the roster, but can still be a player in the free agency period.

The Wings finished with an 18-18 record in 2022, the franchise’s best since moving to Dallas in 2016. They faced the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs and lost the series 2-1. Shortly after the playoffs ended, the franchise fired head coach Vickie Johnson, signaling a change in expectation for the team.

As free agency approaches, the Wings have a chance to reshape their roster to new head coach Latricia Trammell’s liking.

The Wings have 10 players under contract going into free agency

Going into the free agency period, the Wings will have a league-high 10 players under contract.

Franchise cornerstone Arike Ogunbowale is the highest-paid, and the team’s lone max contract. The Wings are determined to build a competitive roster around her dynamic scoring. Allisha Gray and Kayla Thornton are the only other players making over $100,000. The two are valuable pieces of the team’s defense and should thrive under Trammell.

Satou Sabally, Ty Harris, and Bella Alarie are all in the final year of their protected rookie scale contracts. Sabally was drafted to be Ogunbowale’s co-star, but injuries have hindered their progress. Harris, a fan favorite, has had an inconsistent role in recent years, but that should change under Trammell. Alarie sat out the 2022 season due to personal reasons and her status is still a question mark for this season.

Charli Collier, Awak Kuier, Veronica Burton, and Jasmine Dickey are all on unprotected rookie scale deals. That means they may be cut and would only be owed the prorated amount of their salary for the time they were on the regular season roster. That said, the likelihood of the Wings cutting any of them is low.

Collier, the number one overall pick in 2021, has not received many playing opportunities. Depending on how this free agency period goes, more opportunity may be available in 2023 for her to develop.

Kuier was picked immediately after Collier and has seen more consistent playing time. A fascinating two-way prospect, the idea of Kuier learning from a defensive savant like Trammell should entice the Wings, and scare the rest of the league.

Burton, the seventh overall pick in 2022, carved out a role for herself as a solid defender and patient floor leader off the bench. Dickey was the 30th pick in the 2022 Draft and saw sparing minutes. That said, the team keeping her around bodes well for her chances to earn more minutes this season.

How can the Wings upgrade with so few spots available?

The Wings only have three free agents this year. Only one is unrestricted: Isabelle Harrison.

Harrison’s role has fluctuated during her time in Dallas. In 2022, she played the lowest minutes per game since her rookie year. The minute decrease led to a decrease in her counting stats, but Harrison’s play remained rock solid. As she enters the prime of her career, she will likely seek a more stable role elsewhere. If she chooses to stay in Dallas, she will likely mesh well with Trammell’s new system.

Marina Mabrey is the most important of Dallas’ free agents. Her friendship and chemistry with Ogunbowale make her a must-keep for the team. Given her restricted status, the Wings will be able to match potential offers to ensure Mabrey’s return. If Mabrey gets a max offer sheet from another team, she will be the only free agent the Wings are able to retain.

The Wings have already extended the qualifying offer to both her and Teaira McCowan.

McCowan, Dallas’ other restricted free agent, is much more of a toss-up. McCowan’s size and offense greatly helped the Wings last year, but the precedent is not in her favor, as bigger centers typically struggle in Trammell systems. Given the number of bigs on the roster and those that are available as free agents, it’s realistic that Dallas moves on from McCowan, but not a guarantee. If no teams offer McCowan a large offer sheet, the Wings may match and keep her around for the season, or to trade down the road.

Who could the Wings target to fill out the roster?

While the Wings don’t have many free-agent slots going into the period, they have a ton of tradable pieces that they can use during this time. These pieces could be used to open up more salary for a marquee signing, or to trade for another star. Allisha Gray reportedly wants out — a package of her and another young player plus a draft pick might be enough to snag a high-end player to slot aside Ogunbowale and company.

Assuming the Wings retain Mabrey and McCowan, they likely won’t sign anyone for anything other than a reserve role. While they could use some veteran leadership, it would be a tough sell for most vets given the lack of playing time and championship aspirations.

That said, if the Wings could snag a veteran big, it would go a long way in helping their young group adjust to the WNBA game. There are multiple veteran bigs that come to mind in this role, such as Jantel Lavender, Reshanda Gray, or Tianna Hawkins, but none of them appear to be good fits for Dallas given where they are in their careers.

The Wings also have three picks in the upcoming WNBA draft they could hold on to and fill out the roster with. Dallas has the 11th, 19th, and 31st pick at their disposal.

The Wings are a tough read going into free agency

Dallas has many, many options available in free agency, but very few of them involve free agents. Most of their overhaul would likely come via trade, and they could make a lot of noise that way. With a new head coach and a full roster, it’s hard to get a read on what the Wings can, should, or will do. One thing is for certain: the team will play a lot differently than it did under Vickie Johnson. Trammell’s defensive-minded approach will be new to this team. She will set a rotation and stick to it. Both of which are welcome changes to a team trying to reach new heights.