The WNBA is in the offseason, but teams are busy signing free agents, , firing and 鈥� and all that鈥檚 making big headlines in the lead-up to the 2025 season.
ESPN reporter joined Texas Standard to help us break down the latest.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: Now, naturally, being in Texas, we want to focus on the Dallas Wings, Texas鈥� only WNBA team 鈥� so far; I have my hopes.
But first, I want to ask about the overall interest in the WNBA. There certainly seem to be more eyes on the game, a whole lot more coverage. How do you think the game or the league has evolved in recent months and years?
Alexa Philippou: Well, when I first started covering women鈥檚 basketball nationally full time, I definitely noticed more and more interest in the sport, in college and WNBA.
But it really has felt like over the last year and a half to two years, starting with that 2023 Final Four between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, that the growth in the sport really just took this, you know, exponential trajectory and that things have really been on such an exciting path from there.
And we鈥檝e seen that in the college game and then obviously translate to the WNBA this season when those two players in particular made it to the pros. And even though they weren鈥檛 in the finals, even, we saw some of the best viewership we鈥檝e seen in decades to the finals. So many different metrics you could point to about showing that the interest has never been higher.
I think the casual sports fan is more engaged and more knowledgeable about the WNBA than ever before. So even though it might have been spurred by that one moment with some of those rookies or, you know, a player like Caitlin Clark, who鈥檚 obviously a generational talent, I think it鈥檚 really kind of been like a rising tide lifts all boats and now the whole league is seeing this tremendous moment of excitement and growth and popularity.
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What can you tell us about the new head coach of the Dallas Wings, Chris Koclanes?
Well, Chris Koclanes has been in the WNBA circles for a while. He had a little bit of a break because he was an assistant coach at USC, where he was helping coach JuJu Watkins, who, of course, is a star in her own right.
But Chris Koclanes, he actually started in the league in Connecticut, which is where he was working under current Wings general manager Curt Miller. So he worked his way up into Curt Miller鈥檚 staff in Connecticut, then he followed Curt Miller to Los Angeles and had a small stint there before leaving for USC. So he鈥檚 a really well-respected coach around the league.
One of the things he鈥檚 known for is having more of a defensive-minded approach to the game, and that鈥檚 something the Wings desperately need. Defense has been really one of their weaknesses for years. And it isn鈥檛 really even tied to one coach. So that鈥檚 something that as a franchise, as an organization, they want to take obviously more seriously by this hire.
But I think Koclanes is well respected by various stars in the league. When he was hired, you saw different people who had worked with him and at the Sparks or with the Sun, even some of his USC players that were publicly saying how great of an experience they had working with him and he鈥檒l make a really good coach. I think there鈥檚 some early optimism that he鈥檒l be a really good fit for Dallas.
I want to touch on the fact that we won鈥檛 see rookie Jacy Sheldon or veteran Satou Sabally on the lineup for the Wings this year. The WNBA draft isn鈥檛 until April, but what are you going to be looking for in the meantime? And what about drafting?
Yeah, so the Wings have a little bit of a roster turnover, but they got some really interesting pieces in return. They brought in DiJonai Carrington, who was the most improved player last year. They brought in a really great point guard, Ty Harris, have signed Myisha Hines-Allen.
So even though they have some players on the way out 鈥� I should say, NaLyssa Smith, too, was a No. 2 pick a few years ago in the draft, and she鈥檚 coming in as well 鈥� but they also have the No. 1 overall pick, and that鈥檚 expected to be Paige Bueckers out of UConn.
So if they鈥檙e able to get her in the draft 鈥� or even, you know, there鈥檚 some college eligibility question marks there, if Paige decides that she wants to return to college 鈥� there鈥檚 talented players; Olivia Miles is one that comes to mind out of Notre Dame, another really talented guard.
So I think the Wings are really excited to have that pick, and hopefully that could be a cornerstone to their franchise moving forward alongside these players that they just brought in in free agency.
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I鈥檝e got to ask: Any projections on the Wings鈥� chances in 2025?
I think if things go right, they could definitely make it back to the playoffs. I think that鈥檚 like a really good baseline for them to build off of. And then everyone鈥檚 basically a free agent 2026, and that鈥檚 a whole other conversation we鈥檒l have to have.
But they have a lot of good things moving their way with the practice facility coming and the move to Dallas. So I think they鈥檙e going to really try and continue to build off that momentum moving forward.
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