Azzi Fudd's arrival boosts revamped Wings' starting lineup ranking

Dallas has assembled an explosive trio of Fudd, Paige Bueckers, and Arike Ogunbowale.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 3:35pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a WNBA basketball game, with the players and court broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape, conveying the dynamic energy of the sport.The revamped Dallas Wings' starting lineup, with its explosive backcourt trio, is poised to make a major leap in the 2026 WNBA season.Dallas Today

The Dallas Wings have been one of the busier teams this WNBA offseason, firing their head coach, signing Arike Ogunbowale to a max contract extension, and acquiring Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard to bolster their frontcourt. The Wings then selected Azzi Fudd with the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, reuniting her with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. These moves have vaulted the Wings' starting lineup into the top 7 in the league, according to The Sporting News' rankings.

Why it matters

The Wings are looking to bounce back from a 10-24 season in 2025, and the additions of Fudd, Smith, and Shepard should significantly improve both their offense and defense. With Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and the incoming Fudd, Dallas has assembled one of the most talented young backcourts in the WNBA.

The details

In Fudd, Bueckers, and Ogunbowale, the Wings have an explosive trio of guards that can score at a high rate. Bueckers had a standout rookie season and is an efficient, all-around player, while Ogunbowale can be inconsistent but is capable of putting up big numbers. Fudd is a generational shooting talent with the size to take on bigger defensive assignments. In the frontcourt, the Wings will rely on Alanna Smith's interior presence to improve their defense, which was the third-worst in the WNBA last season. Maddy Siegrist is a wild card, as the former third overall pick broke out as a scorer in 2025 but has dealt with injuries.

  • The Wings fired first-year head coach Chris Koclanes and replaced him with Jose Fernandez in the offseason.
  • Dallas signed Arike Ogunbowale to a max contract extension when free agency opened.
  • The Wings acquired Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard to bolster their frontcourt.
  • Dallas selected Azzi Fudd with the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

The players

Paige Bueckers

The near-unanimous Rookie of the Year in 2025, Bueckers is an efficient, all-around player who can do it all on the offensive end.

Arike Ogunbowale

Ogunbowale has inconsistent streaks, but she can put up points at an exceptional rate when she's feeling it.

Azzi Fudd

Fudd is a generational shooting talent with a 5'11'' frame that will allow her to take on bigger defensive assignments.

Alanna Smith

The reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year, Smith's daunting interior presence will be crucial to improving the Wings' third-worst defense.

Maddy Siegrist

The former third overall pick broke out as a scorer in 2025 with a career-high 12.7 points per game, but injuries have limited her to 53 games over the past two seasons.

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The takeaway

The Dallas Wings have undergone a significant roster overhaul this offseason, assembling a talented young core of Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and now Fudd in the backcourt, while also adding Smith and Shepard to bolster their frontcourt. These moves have vaulted the Wings into the top 7 in the league in terms of starting lineup strength, and they are poised to make a significant leap in 2026 after winning just 10 games a season ago.