{"id":31052,"date":"2025-07-01T23:05:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T23:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/31052\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T23:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T23:05:11","slug":"wings-balancing-their-future-needs-with-a-roster-so-shorthanded-its-near-forfeiting-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/31052\/","title":{"rendered":"Wings balancing their future needs with a roster so shorthanded it\u2019s near forfeiting games"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON \u2014 When the Dallas Wings<\/a> play the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday at College Park Center, they will look like a different team than the one that beat the Washington Mystics last Saturday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Wings started the week with a bombshell announcement that forward NaLyssa Smith, whom Dallas acquired through a four-team trade in February, had been traded to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2027 first-round pick<\/a>. To complete the trade, Kaila Charles was released from her hardship contract signed June 17. On Sunday, Dallas also released guard-forward Haley Jones from her hardship contract signed earlier this month to make room for the return of centers Luisa Geisels\u00f6der and Teaira McCowan, who were away at EuroBasket for the last several weeks. <\/p>\n

Related:Dallas Wings trade NaLyssa Smith to Las Vegas Aces for 2027 first-round draft pick<\/a><\/p>\n

While the two were abroad, Dallas picked up 6-7 center Li Yueru through a trade with the Seattle Storm.<\/p>\n

Sports Roundup<\/p>\n

Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis and opinion delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, Kevin Sherrington’s A La Carte.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day it is a business,\u201d McCowan told reporters after practice in Arlington on Tuesday. \u201cYou hate to see them go and you love to see people come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wings coach Chris Koclanes said the changing roster has been challenging, \u201cbut that\u2019s part of the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Geisels\u00f6der and McCowan have returned, strengthening the Wings frontcourt that also includes Yueru, but the team is still short staffed. Guard Ty Harris was ruled out for the season earlier this month after a left knee surgery and forward Maddy Siegrist, who suffered a fracture in her right knee, will return later in the year. Star guard Arike Ogunbowale did not practice Tuesday due to a thumb injury and guard-forward DiJonai Carrington, who has missed the last several games with a rib injury, partially practiced.<\/p>\n

Wings general manager Curt Miller said the team, which currently has 11 players, including those out with injury, will sign another player before Thursday\u2019s game against the Mercury to avoid forfeiting the contest. It\u2019s unknown who that player will be, but Miller\u2019s roster transactions have not just been about accounting for absences and injuries. The GM, hired by the Wings last November, said he\u2019s also been playing the long game as the team, 5-13, tries to turn the corner this season and build (presumably around 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers<\/a>) for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think two things can be true. We\u2019re going to compete and put ourselves in position to try to win each and every night,\u201d Miller said Tuesday at practice in Arlington. \u201cAt the same time, there\u2019s already tons of work going on behind the scenes in preparation for an unprecedented free agency coming up. There\u2019s already work being done even though the collegiate season\u2019s not in season.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wings roster began to shuffle after a disappointing 88-84 road loss to the Las Vegas Aces on June 13.<\/p>\n

Dallas led the Aces, without reigning league MVP A\u2019ja Wilson, by 11 points with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter before Las Vegas outscored them 17-2 to win the game in comeback fashion. McCowan had already departed for EuroBasket and Geisels\u00f6der was set to leave for the overseas competition the following day.<\/p>\n

Not even 24 hours after the loss, the Wings, then 1-11, announced they had waived Charles, who made the team\u2019s opening day roster, and acquired Yueru from the Storm.<\/p>\n

Yueru has been instrumental for the Wings in her short time with the team. Since her arrival, the Wings have won four of their last six games. She recorded a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double against a playoff-caliber Atlanta Dream team in the Wings\u2019 68-55 win on June 24 and can also shoot from behind the arc.<\/p>\n

Now, Geisels\u00f6der and McCowan join her in the frontcourt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have big bodies down there, which is going to be fun to play with,\u201d Geisels\u00f6der said Tuesday. <\/p>\n

Bueckers, the rookie phenom who was just named a starter in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and was a full participant in Tuesday\u2019s practice after missing Saturday\u2019s game, has played well with Yueru and has also been pivotal in the Wings\u2019 surge over the last several games.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s scored 20 or more points in four of her last five contests with the team, which saw the story of its season start to shift after that tough loss in Vegas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just speaks to our resilience, our grit, our fight,\u201d Koclanes said. \u201cWhen you have that at your core, we can fix some of the basketball stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

The core of the team looks a bit different now that Smith, who expressed in a post on X that she didn\u2019t see the trade coming, is no longer with the Wings. But Miller has a vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, the balance between now and the future is something that you\u2019re always trying to look at as a GM,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n