When WNBA free agency started, we said priority one, two and three for the Dallas Wings was to bring back Satou Sabally. They accomplished that mission, re-signing Sabally, who was a restricted free agent, to a one-year contract.
Sabally and Brown stick with Wings, while DeShields departs
Sabally is a rising star in this league, with the two-time All-Star earning Most Improved Player and All-WNBA First Team honors in 2023. Last season, she averaged 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals in 38 games, while shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. The move was a no-brainer, but it takes two to make a deal. That Sabally quickly agreed to stay signals that she feels she can win in Texas.
The Wings re-signed Kalani Brown, who had a career year in 2023. Brown averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. They also signed the No. 4 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, Stephanie Soares.
Most of free agency was good news for the Wings, but there was a bump in the road with Diamond DeShields departing the team. DeShields never saw the floor for Dallas, as she was sidelined due to injury for the entire 2023 season. With the Phoenix Mercury in 2022, she recorded 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30 games. It would’ve been nice to see how she would’ve worked with the Dallas roster, but it just wasn’t in the cards.
Has Dallas done enough?
Dallas now has their big three intact with Sabally, Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard. The Wings still have some cap room left and two first-round draft picks, so they can still make some moves to improve their teams.
Have they done enough to take a step forward after finishing fourth in the league last year? The Wings set the bar high in the first season of the Latricia Trammell era, and getting past the Aces, Liberty and Sun will be a brutal challenge. Still, with the firepower at their disposal, the Wings will have as good a chance as any at getting it done. As long as Ogunbowale is their primary scoring threat, the Wings will always have a puncher’s chance at beating anyone on any given day.