Perhaps no other team has seen such a drastic improvement year-over-year like the Dallas Wings have. In 2025, the team won a measly 10 games and lost 34. They were out of playoff contention practically before the season even started. There was really only one silver lining: Paige Bueckers.

Their first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft was named the Rookie of the Year, and showcased all of the skills that would soon make her a star, despite being on a sinking ship. The Wings knew they needed to make changes in order to maximize Bueckers’ upwards trajectory.

Paige Bueckers channels LeBron James with her signature team approach

Their first move was firing head coach Chris Koclanes and hiring Jose Fernandez. They then drafted Bueckers’ college teammate, Azzi Fudd, first overall. They re-signed Arike Ogunbowale and added Alanna Smith and Alysha Clark to the roster.

Paige Bueckers is playing a much different role with Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez than she did as a rookie

Those moves should, theoretically, have led to a breakout season for Bueckers. That hasn’t quite come to fruition yet, as she has actually regressed from her rookie season in some aspects. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though. In fact, Bueckers taking on a bigger role within the team’s offense has led to some regression, while making her a better player overall. At least, that’s how she feels about the “challenge” she’s had to endure in her sophomore season.

Yeah, it’s been a fun challenge. Last year I played a lot more off-ball, a lot more of the two. So a lot of my actions were coming off of pin-downs, coming off of wide screens. Obviously, coming off of ball screens, too. But this year it’s been a challenge to navigate hunting my own shot, finding my teammates’ shot. I’m creating for others… It’s been a fun challenge.

Bueckers playing more on-ball this season has led to a slight uptick in assists per game, which makes it impressive that her turnovers are actually slightly down as well. Bueckers has been more efficient with her shooting, too, bumping up both her field goal and three-point shooting percentages.

The sky is the limit for Bueckers once she feels even more comfortable in Fernandez’s system.