“With No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers as the clear franchise star — and the Wings having the top odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft — this upcoming season will be about Dallas firming up its vision around Bueckers, and it’s a future that includes new team facilities now under construction and hiring a new coach to replace Chris Koclanes,” Philippou wrote. “A primary offseason question revolves around whether Arike Ogunbowale returns to the franchise she has spent her whole career with. Beyond that, the Wings have a lot of other young players who can provide depth while the team maintains the cap flexibility to take some big swings in free agency.”<\/p>\n
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Aug 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) reacts to a call during the second half New York Liberty at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images \/ Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Dallas Wings WNBA title odds revealed for 2026 season<\/a><\/p>\n The Dallas Wings had every opportunity possible to trade Arike Ogunbowale before the trade deadline, but they decided to keep her with the intention of re-signing her this offseason. Is that the best idea, though? <\/p>\n Ogunbowale is coming off the worst season of her career and struggled to play alongside another ball-dominant player in Bueckers. Part of that can likely be attributed to Koclanes’ coaching style, as it seemed to constantly baffle players during timeouts, but to see her numbers drop like they did was still disheartening. <\/p>\n Ogunbowale is now set to enter free agency, free to sign with whoever she chooses. Ideally, if she does go elsewhere, the Wings can figure out a sign-and-trade to not lose an asset for nothing. <\/p>\n Dallas does have 10 total free agents this offseason to make decisions on, but none are more important than Ogunbowale. <\/p>\n