Can the Dallas Wings make a move to push themselves closer to a championship in 2024?
Year one of the Latricia Trammell era came with a lot of success. The Dallas Wings finished winning record of 22-18, won a playoff series against Atlanta and while they fell short against Las Vegas, so did everyone else.
Now, they have some decisions to make heading into free agency. Can they make the right moves and get closer to a WNBA title?
Facts and figures*
Players under contract (contract status; 2024 salary)
- Arike Ogunbowale (protected veteran; $241,984)
- Natasha Howard (protected veteran; $234,350)
- Teaira McCowan (protected veteran; $195,700)
- Awak Kuier (protected rookie scale; $89,302)
- Crystal Dangerfield (unprotected; $80,000)
- Veronica Burton (unprotected; $77,669)
- Maddy Siegrist (unprotected; $75,792)
- Lou Lopez Sénéchal (unprotected; $72,727)
Free agents (type; 2023 salary)
- Diamond DeShields (unrestricted free agent; $154,500)
- Odyssey Sims (unrestricted free agent; $48,460)
- Satou Sabally (restricted free agent; $86,701) [QO extended 1/11]
Total salary of free agents: $289,661
Total team salary: $1,067,524
Cap space: $395,676
Unsigned draftees (2024 salary)
- Stephanie Soares ($75,792)
- Paige Robinson ($63,532)
2024 WNBA Draft picks (2024 salary)
- Round 1, No. 5 ($73,439)
- Round 1, No. 9 ($70,344)
- Round 3, No. 33 ($64,154)
Analysis
Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
Priority one, two and three for the Wings has to be retaining Satou Sabally. The 2023 Most Improved Player had a career year for the Wings, averaging 18.6 points, 8,1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Sabally, along with Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard, formed the big three that helped drive most of Dallas’ success. As Sabally is a restricted free agent, Dallas needs to offer her the most they, securing her as part of this group so they can have the best chance at winning in 2024.
Doing so will likely take a huge chunk of their cap room, but they still can retain some of their other free agents. The Wings also still have two lottery picks in what is looking like one of the deepest drafts in WNBA history. So, as long as they keep Sabally, Dallas should be in a good position to improve in the margins, even if they cannot make a home run move.
Now, will marginal improvement be enough to contend for a title? That depends on who those players are and if they can be stars in their roles. But with Ogunbowale, Sabally and Howard, that’s a phenomenal base, and that team will be tough for anyone to top.
*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all salary numbers.
