The WNBA and WNBPA have reportedly agreed to a collective bargaining agreement after nearly 100 hours of crunch-time negotiations. The agreement guarantees larger salaries, a share of the league’s revenue share for its players, and finally ends the negotiations that threatened to cripple the league if not finalized before the start of the season.

With a new CBA in place, the offseason can officially begin, and that means preparing for the league’s expansion draft. The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will join the WNBA next season, and an expansion draft is scheduled to take place sometime between April 1-6 to allow these teams to select players for their rosters.

In past WNBA expansion drafts, teams were allowed to protect six players. However, with two teams drafting this year instead of one and a surplus of veterans hitting the free agency market, ESPN reported each team will likely only be allowed to protect five players.

Here’s where things get interesting. Nearly 80% of the league’s players will be unrestricted free agents this offseason, so teams will have the option between a) choosing to “Core” one of their eligible players, essentially signing them to a one-year, maximum-salary contract, or b) letting their UFAs walk and therefore not protecting them in the expansion draft.

Dallas in particular will have an interesting decision on their hands as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Arike Ogunbowale, is an unrestricted free agent— Dallas could choose to “core” her or let her explore her options.

In summation, Dallas must choose five of the following players to protect for next month’s draft: Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Luisa Geiselsoder, Maddy Siegrist, Grace Berger, Awak Kuier, Aziaha James, Haley Jones, Diamond Miller, Li Yueru, Lou Lopez Senechal, and JJ Quinerly.

In this piece, two of MMB’s writers will lay out their five they want Dallas to protect.

Paige Bueckers, Point Guard

This needs no extended analysis, so I’ll keep it short: Bueckers is already one of the league’s best players, and she’s entering her second season. There is no universe where Dallas doesn’t protect her and if there is, I don’t want to live in that universe. Paige is safe.

Siegrist has turned into a fan favorite in Dallas and for good reason. She’s improved her stats every season, is one of the hardest-working players in the league, and she’s only entering her fourth season. Siegrest started 15 of her 26 appearances last season, and I expect that number to go up this season as she establishes herself with Bueckers and whoever the Wings take No. 1 in next month’s collegiate players draft.

Kuier hasn’t appeared in a WNBA game since the 2023 season, but her game in Europe has excelled, and I believe she’ll make a great impact on the team this upcoming season.

Haley Jones, Combo Forward

Jones played well for the Wings last season, scoring in double digits in 10 of her 24 appearances and averaging nearly a block and a steal a game. Her defensive prowess mixed with her offensive versatility gives her a spot on this team as they look to build a playoff contender for the 2026 campaign.

Arike Ogunbowale, Shooting Guard

There’s been a lot of dialogue about Ogunbowale’s future with the Dallas Wings ever since Bueckers came to Dallas. For the Wings, it comes down to one question: What is the best course of action to make this team successful this season?

In my opinion, it’s best to keep Ogunbowale. She’s been with the franchise for her entire career, and her name has become synonymous with the Wings brand in the league. The offense looked rough at times last season as Bueckers began to blossom, but I think they can figure it out this season.

I believe they should core Ogunbowale and try out a season of her, Bueckers, Siegrist, Kuier, and whoever the team picks with the No. 1 overall pick.

Paige Bueckers, Point Guard

Nico Harrison isn’t walking through this door.

Aziaha James, Shooting Guard

James showed flashes of high-level offensive ability in her rookie season. The 12th pick in the 2025 draft was in and out of former coach Chris Koclanes’ deranged rotation, but she had stretches of big-time production when she got opportunities. During a seven-game breakout stretch from late June to early July, James averaged 15.9 points on 46% shooting from the floor and and 43% from three. Though she couldn’t maintain that production or secure consistent minutes, James established herself as a savvy scorer. She also displayed high-level passing ability, a tight handle, and competitiveness on defense. James is a legitimate young talent entering just the second year of her rookie contract. It’s a no-brainer to protect her.

Most third-round draft picks never sniff a WNBA roster; JJ Quinerly, drafted 27th overall in 2025, forced the issue and started 13 games in her rookie season. The diminutive Quinerly (generously listed at 5’8) defied all expectations last year, firmly announcing herself as a WNBA player. What Quinerly lacks in size, she makes up for with explosiveness, speed, and tenacity. She is a walking paint touch who can score at all three levels. On defense, she generates steals with quick hands and excellent screen navigation. She needs to clean up the turnovers and improve her decision-making, but Quinerly is absolutely worth keeping around. All the young, cost-controlled talent should be locked down.

What if I told you Awak Kuier, a player the Wings drafted five years ago, is only two months older than Paige Bueckers? Kuier came over from Finland in 2021 as an ultra-raw 19-year-old and struggled mightily in the W for three seasons. There were flashes, such as a 13-point, six-rebound performance in the clincher of Dallas’ first playoff series win in 2023, but it was clear that Kuier needed a lot of development. After spending the last three seasons in Spain and Turkey, Kuier has grown a ton; the 6’5 forward (seven-foot wingspan) is averaging 12.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across all competition for Galatasaray. Despite her length, Kuier plays more like a big wing than a center. She’s still very slight, and though she’ll struggle to match up with WNBA bigs, her versatility on both ends could be crucial for this Wings squad. Kuier is still so young, and her insane athletic tools and frame make her a valuable piece.

This last spot is tough. Haley Jones, Luisa Geiselsöder, and Arike Ogunbowale (more on her below) are all worthy candidates. But Siegrist probably has the most value with her scoring ability inside the arc. Siegrist is a bucket getter who excels in the paint and midrange areas, and she also doubled her three-point volume from 2024 to 2025. If the threes went in, Siegrist would be an easy choice here; she really has to improve on the 32% mark from last year. Siegrist is a bad defender, but she plays hard, crashes the offensive glass, and puts the ball in the hoop. She’s also on the last year of her rookie deal with restricted free agency following in 2027.

As Isaac said, Arike Ogunbowale is a franchise legend and can definitely be better than she was during a tumultuous 2025. Protecting and coring her for one year wouldn’t be a bad thing. But ultimately, I think Arike’s time here has run its course. Because of her importance to the franchise, you won’t ever be able to scale down her role, and she isn’t the cleanest fit with Bueckers in the starting backcourt. I’d welcome this as an opportunity to give her a fresh start in Portland or Toronto, while Dallas focuses on retaining as much young talent as possible to continue the rebuild around Bueckers.