The Dallas Wings have fired head coach Chris Koclanes, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon. Koclanes, a first-year head coach, led the Wings to a league-worst 10-34 record in his first year.
Rookie WNBA coach is fired after disappointing season
Chris Koclane’s tenure as Paige Buecker’s head coach in Dallas has come to an end.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Wings executive vice president and general manager Curt Miller put out a statement thanking Koclanes for his efforts.
“On behalf of the Dallas Wings, I want to thank Chris for his many and immediate contributions to the organization this past season,” said Miller. “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. As we enter a pivotal point in our team’s future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization. The Dallas Wings remain dedicated to their pursuit of WNBA Championships and building upon the strong culture established on and off the court.”
Before his role as the Wings head coach, Koclanes was an assistant at the University of Southern California. Before that, he was an assistant coach for Curt Miller in the WNBA for 8 years, both for the Connecticut Sun (2016-2022) and the Los Angeles Sparks (2023).
Fans criticized and campaigned against Koclanes all season long, with “We Want Nola” chants erupting from the bleachers on multiple occasions (a reference to Wings assistant coach Nola Henry, who some fans wanted to see lead the team). But players nonetheless spoke in support of Koclanes throughout the season.
While Paige Bueckers had a strong rookie season — averaging 19.2 points and 5.4 assists — others on the roster struggled under Koclanes’ leadership, including four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale averaged 15.5 points on 36.4% shooting, both career lows.
With the move, the Wings become the latest WNBA team to part ways with their head coach this offseason; already, the Seattle Storm have parted ways with Noelle Quinn, and the New York Liberty with Sandy Brondello. Additionally, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are in search of their inaugural head coach.
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