The Dallas Wings front office was one enthusiastic bunch when they brought in Chris Koclanes. In fact, their exact words after hiring him back in December 2024 were “Throughout our extensive search and interview process, Chris continued to rise to the top and check the boxes of our important pillars.” Unfortunately, that enthusiasm backfired. Under Koclanes, the Wings, despite boasting a star like Paige Bueckers, ended the season with the league’s worst record. So, in light of this, the Wings’ recent announcement hardly comes as a surprise.

A few hours ago, the official X account of the Dallas Wings announced that Chris Koclanes will not be returning as head coach! This announcement comes around 2-and-a-half-weeks after the Dallas Wings secured a win against the Phoenix Mercury by playing their last game of the 2025 regular season. However, since that win was accompanied by 34 losses in the regular season, the team missed out on making it to the playoffs. 

A netizen, in the comments section, soon shared a screenshot of the official statement from the Wings General Manager, Curt Miller, justifying the reason behind the decision. He thanked Chris for “his many and immediate contributions to the organization this past season”.

At the same time, however, Miller also added that “With new team facilities being built, a youthful roster under contract, and the rights to three first-round draft selections over the next two seasons, including a lottery pick in 2026, the Wings are well-positioned for future success.” In light of this, Curt Miller felt there is no better time than now to make a change in leadership.

The Dallas Wings have entered a new era now, following Paige Bueckers’ signing. The attention of the world is now on this team, as seen by how Bueckers’ debut game with the Wings, aka the team’s opening-night game against the Minnesota Lynx, reportedly brought in over 612,000 viewers. This was a 121 percent increase over a comparable window from the previous season.

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Additionally, a July matchup between the Wings and Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever drew an average of 2.1 million viewers, with a peak audience of 2.5 million. This represented a 69% increase vs. last year’s WNBA on ABC regular-season average.

The Wings are only set to grow and gain more attention going forward, since, according to reports, Dallas has a 40% chance to win the No. 1 pick for the 2026 WNBA Draft. Since no date for the lottery has been set due to the labor dispute between the WNBA and the WNBPA, the date cannot be confirmed at this time.

With this decision, one thing is clear. The franchise is clearly committed to growth, recently breaking ground on a $48.6 million practice facility to support its long-term vision. In that context, the Wings cannot afford to hold back if they believe the head coach isn’t capable of meeting the team’s ambitions.

Koclanes has now become the 3rd WNBA coach to be fired since the regular season ended. Back in September, the Seattle Storm parted ways with Noelle Quinn. This was followed by the New York Liberty making a surprising move by letting go of Sandy Brondello. While we don’t know what is next in store for Koclanes, we do know that the team will begin searching for new candidates soon. It’s barely been hours since the announcement, and predictions have already begun to pop up.

Who can replace Chris Koclanes as Head Coach?

When considering candidates, shouldn’t the first glance go to those who are actually available? In that case, who better to call than a recently released coach—Sandy Brondello!

One of the reasons why the former New York Liberty head coach’s exit was questioned was because she had led Sabrina Ionescu and co to a championship just last year! Additionally, Brondello boasts a track record of helping teams become playoff contenders and title favourites. If the goal is to keep Paige Bueckers happy, then the team needs to start with a successful veteran coach.

Another candidate for the role can be Dallas Wings’ very own Nola Henry. She joined the franchise as an assistant coach back in January. By August, criticism had grown against Chris Koclanes for the Dallas Wings’ struggling defensively. In light of this, Jeremy Beren of Sporting News soon reported that some Wings fans called for the franchise to replace Koclanes with Nola Henry. The assistant coach also has experience as a player development coach.

Plus, one shouldn’t forget that she was the one who led Rose BC to the team’s first-ever championship win.

It’s still early days to make an accurate guess. Despite that, it will be interesting to wait and see who the Dallas Wings look to place as Paige Bueckers’ coach and to help establish the Dallas Wings as potential championship contenders.