Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and guard Odyssey Sims (1) congratulate forward Awak Kuier (34) on a blocked shot during the first half against the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, August 20, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Four games remain on the Dallas Wings’ regular season schedule, but coach Jose Fernandez and star guard Paige Bueckers will be in Berlin for the next two weeks representing the United States at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Bueckers made the star-studded roster and Fernandez will serve as a scout coach.
Wings forward Alanna Smith and guard Costanza Verona will also appear in the international tournament, which runs from Sept. 4 through Sept. 13. Smith will play for Australia, and Verona for Italy. Center Li Yueru was set to represent China, but she announced Wednesday on Instagram that she will not join the team due to her passport being lost in the mail.
Article continues below this ad
With numerous WNBA players abroad for the World Cup, the league has been on a break that started Aug. 31 and ends Sept. 16. As teams build momentum and try to stay healthy for the postseason, which begins Sept. 27, the competition doesn’t come at the most ideal time.
“The timing of it is so far out of my control, and I try to only focus on the things that I can control,” Bueckers said Sunday after a win over the Connecticut Sun. “Everybody’s going through it who’s competing in the World Cup.”
The eighth-place Wings (24–16) have already secured their spot in the 2026 playoffs, but they can still improve their seeding. Dallas, currently on a four-game winning streak, intends to win out. But the Wings won’t start the last stretch of the regular season until they meet the Los Angeles Sparks at College Park Center on Sept. 17 — 18 days after their last game.
Dallas struggled after All-Star weekend earlier this summer, going 2–7 out of that break before the current win streak began. Each of those seven losses came to other playoff teams.
While the Wings are off this week to meet league requirements pertaining to the break, the team will return to practice Sept.8. The World Cup participants just won’t be there when practice first resumes, and one of Fernandez’s assistants will lead the sessions.
Article continues below this ad
Fernandez said Sunday some players will not be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the first week of the World Cup break. They’ve all been assigned individual player development programs that will help guide them while away from the team.
“Because we still have a lot to play for, and they’ve got to be ready while I’m away and while [Paige] is away to really have great individual workouts and very productive practices,” Fernandez said.
This type of intermission doesn’t happen in other sports leagues. The next FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup, which will run from Aug. 27 through Sept. 14, 2027, will take place ahead of the 2027-28 NBA season.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup wrapped up in mid July, about a month before major European soccer leagues typically start their seasons. The tournament began in June after their seasons had finished.
“I don’t know where else you could put it in regards to timing,” Fernandez said. “With [the WNBA] adding six games next year, I’m guessing those games would be during this time, so we’d still be playing.”
Article continues below this ad
Fernandez said he’s not sure how the WNBA calendar will look in 2028 with the Los Angeles Olympics set that summer, but he noted it will create a similar situation as this year’s World Cup.
The United States Women’s National Team, which also includes Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, has had less time than other federations to practice due to the WNBA season. Players also might have a bit more wear and tear on their bodies 40 games into the schedule.
“Everybody’s got to figure it out, find a way, dig deep,” Bueckers said. “You’re representing your country. There’s no time to be tired.”