DHJ Quick Take: Notebook Observations<\/p>\n
The Velocity Gap: Fernandez\u2018s \u201cSports Car\u201d analogy isn\u2019t just a quote; it\u2019s a tactical roadmap. By noting the gap in pace between veterans and camp invites, he\u2019s signaling that his rotation will be built on players who can process information at WNBA speed without sacrificing \u201cThe UConn Standard\u201d of discipline.<\/p>\n
The \u201cMadman\u201d Three-Hour Practice: The transition from college to the pros often sees a dip in practice intensity. Fernandez is doing the opposite\u2014bringing three-hour sessions to Arlington to ensure his 17-player group is conditioned for the \u201c90 to 100 possessions\u201d he expects in May.<\/p>\n
Paige\u2019s Point-of-Attack Growth: Paige Bueckers mentioning her growth in isolation and space from Unrivaled is massive. She is ready to be even more of a primary \u201crim-pressure\u201d engine, which perfectly complements Azzi Fudd\u2018s gravity.<\/p>\n
The Underrated Shepard Factor: Alanna Smith\u2019s scouting report on Jessica Shepard as a \u201cTriple-Double\u201d threat in space is the key to the Wings\u2018 frontcourt versatility. If Shepard can facilitate from the high post, it allows Arike Ogunbowale and Fudd to hunt shots off the ball.<\/p>\n
ARLINGTON, Texas \u2014 The Dallas Wings<\/a> opened training camp Sunday in Arlington under first-year head coach Jose Fernandez, with 17 players on the floor for the opening session and five overseas commitments keeping the full roster from being together on Day 1. It marked the largest training camp group Fernandez has ever coached and the official start of a 20-day runway leading up to the May 9 season opener for the Indiana Fever.<\/p>\n No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd<\/a> took the floor alongside second-year guard Paige Bueckers<\/a> and newly signed forward Alanna Smith<\/a> as Fernandez worked through transition concepts, quick hitters, and four-on-four sets. Dallas held off on five-on-five work, with Fernandez planning to introduce it on Day 2.<\/p>\n A Shortened Runway and a Deliberate First Day<\/p>\n Fernandez emphasized the tight timeline throughout his media availability. Dallas has 15 scheduled practices and two exhibitions before the regular season opens, and the Wings are still waiting on Arike Ogunbowale<\/a>, Jessica Shepard<\/a>, Awak Kuier<\/a>, Costanza Verona<\/a>, and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu<\/a> to arrive due to overseas commitments.<\/p>\n The portion of the session open to the media included position-specific skill work before moving into team concepts. The frontcourt group worked on finishing on the roll and low-post positioning, while the guards ran through catch-and-shoot jumpers, spray-out passes, and competitive team shooting games.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have 17 at camp. I\u2019ve never had 17 at a camp ever before,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cSo I think the biggest thing is how are we going to communicate the expectations, the standards, and how we talk to one another, the pace of everything that we do.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernandez said the first day was about establishing baselines without overloading the group.<\/p>\n \u201cFor our first day, I thought we got up and down the floor. We got a short amount of time where every practice is so important because we only got 15 of them to get ready in 20 days, 15 practices, two exhibitions,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cSo we were able to put in a lot of our concepts in transition play, out of quick hitters, and four-on-four. So I was pleased. We didn\u2019t go five-on-five, we\u2019ll move that until tomorrow. But for the first day, I thought our energy, our enthusiasm, and our composure and work ethic was very, very good.\u201d<\/p>\n Jose Fernandez on the Jump From College to the Pro Level<\/p>\n Fernandez, who arrived in Dallas after a long tenure at the University of South Florida and recent international coaching work with USA Basketball in the Afro Cup scouting cycle, said the pace and IQ of the WNBA level stood out immediately on Day 1.<\/p>\n \u201cThese guys, the college level, I\u2019ve coached a lot of pros, 30 still playing internationally, and some draft picks, but when you have a collection like this, it\u2019s a different type of car,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cThese guys are sports cars.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the gap between veterans and new arrivals is visible in pace and terminology, something he said the group will have to close daily.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see a big difference where free agents and camp invites maybe haven\u2019t been used to the pace and terminology,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cRight now, we have a lot of players coming from overseas and different professional teams. It\u2019s about speaking the same language in defensive coverages and offensively. That\u2019s what we\u2019ll continue to build daily.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernandez also acknowledged his practice habits might come as a surprise to some of the pros in the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of these players probably haven\u2019t practiced for three hours since college, so they probably think I\u2019m the madman from college, but it was fun,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cThis group is going to be good and fun to coach.\u201d<\/p>\n Jose Fernandez\u2019s Directive to Azzi Fudd: Shoot the Ball<\/p>\n Fudd\u2019s first professional practice came with an immediate and direct message from her new head coach: stop passing up open shots.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to yell at her and tell her, \u2018Don\u2019t pass up open shots,’\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cEspecially in some of the actions we\u2019re going to run for her, she better shoot the ball if she\u2019s open.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernandez said the No. 1 overall pick was brought in to space the floor, and the actions Dallas plans to run will create looks she has to take.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what she does,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cShe can\u2019t pass up open shots. There are situations where the floor isn\u2019t balanced or rebounding opportunities aren\u2019t there, and we\u2019ll talk about those, but she needs to do what she was brought here to do and space the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Fudd said the feedback was familiar.<\/p>\n \u201cThat seems to be a common trend,\u201d Fudd said. \u201cI share the love, but remembering to shoot when I\u2019m open, my teammates remind me of that. It\u2019ll be an easy adjustment.\u201d<\/p>\n She also framed the aggressive mindset as something that helps the team, not just herself.<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as I\u2019m being aggressive, that helps the team,\u201d Fudd said. \u201cWhen I change my mindset and remember that being aggressive helps the team, it makes a difference. If I\u2019m passing up open shots, the defense can play off me. But if I\u2019m a threat, they have to guard me and respect me, and it opens things up for other people.\u201d<\/p>\n Fudd said the transition from UConn to Dallas requires an adjustment period she\u2019s still working through.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is different. I\u2019ve been in the same place for five years, so I got a little comfortable,\u201d Fudd said. \u201cHere, I\u2019m learning new plays, new concepts, new terminology, and learning how to play with everyone, except for one person I\u2019ve actually played with before. So learning their tendencies and what they like, it\u2019s going to be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n She also offered her early impressions of Fernandez.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve really enjoyed getting to know him. I knew him a little in college from playing against him and meeting him then,\u201d Fudd said. \u201cThen from dinner, from phone calls, and now the first day of training camp, I\u2019ve really enjoyed it so far.\u201d<\/p>\n Paige Bueckers Enters Year 2 Ready to Lead<\/p>\n Bueckers opened her media availability by discussing an offseason that included Unrivaled, USA Basketball training camp with the national team, and a surprise trip to Croatia to visit former UConn teammate Nika M\u00fchl<\/a>. She said both Unrivaled and Team USA helped her develop her voice as a leader.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Unrivaled, I learned to use my voice and be confident in that. We were a younger team, so I had to step up in my leadership role,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cWith USA Basketball, it was the same, being in a room with so many greats, Hall of Famers, people I grew up watching, and still being confident and using my voice while they respected it, that meant a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n She also pointed to a technical takeaway from Unrivaled\u2019s three-on-three format. She believes she was able to work on how she attacks in isolation, as well as how she contains on-ball in those situations. It was a valuable learning experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThree-on-three basketball also teaches you how to move in isolation, in space, offensively and defensively. I learned a lot about myself,\u201d Bueckers said.<\/p>\n Bueckers said her approach has shifted from Year 1 to Year 2, coming in with greater comfort and a willingness to take ownership as a leader. She is being intentional about ensuring every possession and practice is taken seriously to set the tone. <\/p>\n \u201cAs a rookie, I wanted to gain respect, gel with the team, and not step on toes. Now it\u2019s about taking ownership of who I want to be and what we want this team to be,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cCoach Jose has emphasized how we want to perform, how we show up, taking every possession and practice seriously, and growing together. Being able to set that tone and be confident in it, I\u2019ve grown a lot in that.\u201d<\/p>\n She laid out a specific set of on-court goals for the season, including shooting more 3-pointers, getting to the rim, and the free throw line more. She also wants to push the pace in transition. Most importantly, she\u2019s always focused on winning at basketball and being a great teammate.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to get up more threes, get to the paint more, live at the rim more, and get to the free-throw line more. Just getting out in transition and making plays,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cBut my number one goal is to be the best teammate I can be, make everyone around me better, and contribute to winning basketball for the Dallas Wings.\u201d<\/p>\n Bueckers also drew a direct comparison between Fernandez and Geno Auriemma, her longtime head coach at UConn.<\/p>\n \u201cHe reminds me a lot of Geno in terms of discipline, structure, and the culture he wants to build,\u201d Bueckers said of Fernandez. \u201cHe has a no-BS mentality and doesn\u2019t let anything slide. He\u2019s very detail-oriented but communicates well with players. He takes feedback, and while it starts as a coach-led team, it becomes player-led. He\u2019s done a great job on day one, setting the tone for what we want to look like.\u201d<\/p>\n Bueckers said Fernandez\u2019s coaching style boosts the team, with players knowing their roles and a sense of accountability across the board.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives you confidence. Everyone knows their role and what it\u2019s going to take. If someone steps outside the culture, he holds us accountable,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cIt helps you hold yourself accountable, too. That clarity builds confidence across the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked how she supports new teammates adjusting to the system, Bueckers returned to a theme she has emphasized since her rookie year: being overcommunicative.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing overcommunicative. Even for returning players, everything is new, offense, terminology, defensive concepts. Communication is how you fix mistakes,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to be perfect. Everyone is going to make mistakes. It\u2019s about how you respond and how you communicate through it.\u201d<\/p>\n Bueckers also scouted Fudd\u2019s game in detail when asked what her longtime friend brings to a winning team.<\/p>\n \u201cShe impacts the game in so many ways. Obviously, her shooting, but also her ability to slash, cut, her IQ, and defensively disrupt things,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cShe\u2019ll take on tough assignments, has great hands and length, and plays the right way. She\u2019s a 40-plus percent three-point shooter, so her spacing alone helps us. She brings versatility and makes a big impact on both ends.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernandez, for his part, said his job with Bueckers is straightforward.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat players want to be told the truth,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cMy job is to put her in the best situations possible, for her to be successful in the open floor, in the half court with the ball, and playing off the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked what he wants from her in Year 2, Fernandez pointed to some specifics in Bueckers\u2019 shot profile, particularly focusing on getting up more 3-pointers in transition and in the half-court.<\/p>\n \u201cContinue to be great in leadership. I like the way she creates for others. We know about her mid-range, but she\u2019s going to have to stretch the floor more, take more transition threes and half-court threes,\u201d Fernandez said.<\/p>\n Alanna Smith Steps Into an Expanded Offensive Role<\/p>\n Smith, signed this offseason after earning WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors with Minnesota, is expected to take on a larger offensive role in Dallas than she carried with the Lynx.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a higher usage without a doubt,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cI think she was attracted to what we talked about, how we\u2019re going to play and how she was going to be utilized.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith did not go live on Day 1, having just arrived from travel, but took part in half-court three-on-three and four-on-four work on a no-contact basis.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought we did a really, really good job in free agency. We added pieces that were needed in roster construction,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cI look forward to coaching her because she disrupts stuff, she\u2019s long, and late clock situations, where you can switch and track and do different things, she\u2019s going to be fun to coach.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith said the Wings\u2019 core was a significant draw in free agency, emphasizing that the young core was attractive to play with. However, she named Ogunbowale and Siegrist as veteran talents that stood out.<\/p>\n \u201cI liked the young core. I think they\u2019ve got a lot of talent,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAnd then also bringing back players like Arike and Maddy as well. I think we\u2019ve got a bright future ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith said the chance to take on a bigger offensive responsibility was part of what drew her to Dallas.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited. It\u2019s going to be a fun change of roles and something different for me, which I look forward to,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a challenge, which I\u2019m really excited for at this point in my career. I think it\u2019s going to be a lot of fun. I\u2019m going to learn, I\u2019m going to grow, it\u2019s going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n She also spoke highly of the guard depth around her, including Bueckers. While she can expand her game offensively in Dallas, there is no shortage of complementary elements Smith brings.<\/p>\n \u201cSuper talented, especially through our guard spots. It\u2019s going to make my life a lot easier,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWhen you have talent across all five spots on the floor, it\u2019s hard to guard one person. Not only are those players going to thrive, but it\u2019s going to make me better as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith pointed to her familiarity with multiple Wings teammates as another factor easing her transition. Months ago, Smith played with Yueru and Ogunbowale on Mist BC at Unrivaled. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you know people\u2019s games, it helps a lot. Basketball is about chemistry and how you play with your teammates,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019ve had the privilege of playing with Li and Arike before, and I\u2019ve watched and played against Paige as well. So you\u2019re already building that chemistry, which I think is going to go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith also offered a strong scouting take on incoming teammate Jessica Shepard<\/a>, whom she played with in Minnesota.<\/p>\n \u201cJess is one of the most underrated players in the league. Her IQ and the way she can play in space is unbelievable,\u201d Smith said. \u201cShe\u2019s going to bring that to this team, along with the ability to distribute and score for herself. She had a triple-double with Minnesota last year, and I think she can get multiple of those in a season. I\u2019m really excited for her, I think this is a great place for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Amy Okonkwo, Frontcourt Versatility, and Roster Shape<\/p>\n Fernandez singled out returning forward Amy Okonkwo<\/a> as a player whose versatility he was familiar with well before camp opened. He said his scouting of her began with her work on the Nigerian national team ahead of USA Basketball, ahead of competing at the World Cup Qualifier in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n \u201cI got to see a lot about Amy in preparation for the USA Basketball tournament in Puerto Rico because of scouting for the Afro Cup,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cSo I had already become familiar with her through her national team. I like her versatility. She\u2019s got a great attitude, she\u2019s coachable, and she can play a variety of positions.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernandez said the versatility across the roster is one of the most exciting aspects of what Dallas has assembled, and he ran through the depth by position. He cited Kuier and Smith as pieces who can play multiple spots, with Okonkwo and Maddy Siegrist<\/a> able to play inside-outside on the perimeter, and four guards in Bueckers, Ogunbowale, Fudd, and Aziaha James<\/a>. Two veteran point guards in Odyssey Sims<\/a> and Lindsay Allen<\/a> provide additional backcourt stability, and Li Yueru<\/a> offers stretch-five versatility.<\/p>\n \u201cAwak and Alanna can play different spots,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cOn the perimeter, with AC and Maddy, they can play inside-outside. Then you have four guards in Paige, Arike, Azzi, and Aziaha. We have two veteran point guards here in Odyssey and Lindsay. Li can stretch the floor as a five with her experience.\u201d<\/p>\n He also laid out what he wants to see from his frontcourt group, specifically. There is a sense that Dallas has no shortage of impactful post defenders, rebounders, and processers in pick-and-roll. However, the key is to balance playing inside-out with their talents. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got to be great post defenders, rebound out of their area, rim run, and read pick-and-roll situations, whether to slip, short roll, or space,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to have great balance and understand how we want to play inside-out, while also learning their strengths and what they\u2019re comfortable with.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernandez noted that expectations will shift once the overseas contingent arrives.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the biggest thing we have to do in a short amount of time,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cAs you know, Arike\u2019s not here, Jess Shepard\u2019s not here. When they get here, things in this practice facility are going to change dramatically. So I\u2019m looking forward to putting as much stuff in and getting that to them so when they arrive, they\u2019re prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n JJ Quinerly Update and Standards Moving Forward<\/p>\n