Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez has named his full staff, bringing in a mix of WNBA, NBA and college experience as the team builds for the season ahead.
DALLAS — Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez has filled out his first full staff in Dallas, adding a mix of experienced voices as the team gets ready for a season with plenty of buzz.
The Wings announced Friday that Camille Smith, David Adkins, Mike Neighbors and Empress Davenport will serve as assistant coaches, while LaMont Russell was named director of player development, Justin Keller as assistant player development coach and strategist, and Anthony Brammer as video coordinator.
Fernandez said assembling the right staff is “every bit as important” as building the roster, adding that the group brings experience across the NBA, WNBA and college game.
The Wings open the 2026 season on the road against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The first home game at College Park Center in Arlington is on Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. against the Atlanta Dream.
Click here for the full 2026 season schedule.
Camille Smith
Smith returns to the Wings after serving as an assistant coach during the 2025 season. The 13-year WNBA veteran also worked as a player development coach for Dallas in 2020 and previously played in San Antonio, Seattle, Connecticut and Phoenix, winning a WNBA championship with the Storm in 2010.
Smith retired in 2019 after a playing career that included international stops, and she was one of just three players in WNBA history at the time with 1,500 career rebounds and more than 150 made 3-pointers, according to the release. She played collegiately at North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels reach two Final Fours, and earned a degree in interpersonal communications.
Year 3 for Camille, let’s gooooo 🥳 pic.twitter.com/wFlW92kXmm
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) March 27, 2026
David Adkins
Adkins joins Dallas after finishing his second season as associate coach at the University of Washington, where the Huskies posted their first 20-win season since 2016-17 and earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids.
Before college coaching, Adkins worked in the NBA and G League, including as director of player development for the Denver Nuggets and Grand Rapids Gold in 2023-24. His professional experience also includes stops with the Trail Blazers, Wizards and Clippers organizations, and he spent five seasons at Maryland, where he was part of a Final Four run, an ACC title, an Elite Eight appearance and a Sweet 16.
Welcome to Dallas, David 🤠 pic.twitter.com/0avgFVDzin
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) March 27, 2026
Mike Neighbors
Neighbors comes to Dallas after his first season as a WNBA assistant coach, having spent 2025 with the Los Angeles Sparks. He previously served as a Division I head coach for 12 seasons, including eight years at Arkansas and four at Washington.
At Washington, Neighbors led the Huskies to three NCAA Tournament berths and the program’s only Final Four appearance in 2016. At Arkansas, he guided the Razorbacks to five national postseason bids, including consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022, and finished his head coaching career with a 246-154 record.
Welcome to Dallas, Mike 🤠 pic.twitter.com/Xaoj5Ktvlm
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) March 27, 2026
Empress Davenport
Davenport joins the Wings after serving as associate coach at Ole Miss during the 2025-26 season, following an initial hiring there as an assistant coach in 2024-25. The Duncanville native helped the Rebels finish 24-12 and reach their fifth straight NCAA Tournament, including a Sweet 16 in 2025.
Her coaching resume also includes three seasons at UTSA as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, three seasons at Lamar, and two years with Nike ProSkills EYBL.
Before coaching, Davenport played at Texas from 2012-16, later spent a season playing professionally in Sweden, earned a master’s degree in sport management from LSU in 2022 and was inducted into the Duncanville High School Hall of Fame in 2024.
Texas ties, thru & thru ⭐
Welcome to Dallas, Empress! pic.twitter.com/pCPNmA7DIO
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) March 27, 2026
LaMont Russell
Russell arrives after 10 years on the University of Louisville women’s basketball staff, where he worked as an assistant coach and director of basketball video and graphic design. During his time with the Cardinals, the program reached two Final Fours and won five ACC championships.
He also served as video coordinator for USA Basketball’s junior national team from 2023 to 2025, helping with gold-medal runs at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 U18 Women’s AmeriCup, along with a silver medal at the 2023 Women’s AmeriCup. Russell played collegiately at Southeast Missouri State and Hesston College before a professional career in Switzerland.
Justin Keller
Keller joins Dallas from the University of South Florida, where he most recently served as assistant coach and video coordinator. He had been around Fernandez’s program since 2018, beginning as a student manager before moving into a graduate assistant role and later becoming video coordinator and assistant coach.
At USF, Keller handled day-to-day basketball, equipment and facility operations and earned multiple degrees, including bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees in business and sport and entertainment management. Fernandez said Keller already knows his expectations and can help strengthen the Wings’ preparation and scouting processes.
Anthony Brammer
Brammer joins the Wings after serving as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh, where he also added general manager duties during the 2025-26 season. Before that, he was an assistant coach at Evansville and helped the program post its best season since 2016-17.
He also worked alongside Fernandez at USF as the team’s head video coordinator and previously held a video coordinator role on the men’s side at South Florida. Brammer later worked for Synergy Sports Technology, training clients on the company’s products and features, and earned degrees from Old Dominion.
Introducing the 2026 Dallas Wings support staff 🪽 pic.twitter.com/4jwhajbzCW
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) March 27, 2026