Dallas, TX – The WNBA’s World Cup break is over and Team USA’s women’s team emerged victorious, thanks in no small part to Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers and head coach Jose Fernandez. Now they bring their Gold Medal experience back to the friendly confines of UTA as they prepare for the schedule to resume.
The Wings have four regular season games remaining and currently sit in the 8th seed, with the fourth and fifth seeds in sight should they finish strong. They are a far cry from the team that finished with the league’s worst record last season and are hoping for a deep playoff run to usher in their first full season in American Airlines Center next year.
The WNBA is not the sidebar that it used to be, but rather is becoming a hot ticket as more people are watching than ever before. Buecker recently gave the Garland Gazette some context for this rise in popularity.
“It’s getting the visibility, the TV coverage that you see a lot, and I think the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness compensation) helped with that, too, in college, being able to build your brand while you’re still in college. Then there’s social media. Our generation, our class, high school women basketball players were getting posted, getting big saves and getting posted over time on social media platforms. I think women’s sports have always been great, just now we’re getting the opportunity to kind of shine and show that. That respect. As visibility grows, more people want to see, more eyes are on us. We’re selling out NBA arenas, we’re expanding, so I think with the visibility, the respect, the coverage, the game has grown a lot. It’s only because of the people who paved the way before us, who didn’t get that same opportunity, that these opportunities are available to us.”
Coach Fernandez, who won a Gold Medal for his work scouting for Team USA, sees even more growth ahead and more people start to see and appreciate women’s basketball.
“It starts with the players, first and foremost,” Fernandez tells The Gazette. The league, with regards to where it is talentwise, not that there wasn’t talent before, but there has been an incredible amount of viewership for women’s basketball. It’s not only here, but all over the world. With that comes media, sponsorships, TV, merchandise and tickets sales, and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that happened during the offseason. The players before this group paved the way for where this league is and we’ve got to make a conscious effort to recognize the responsibility it took to get here. Not only do we have 15 teams, but the excitement and growth we’re adding three expansion teams. I think that the league will be different five years from now, ten years from now. What we’re doing right now will have an effect on what the league will become, especially when the next CBA comes up.”
If you have not yet caught the craze, the Wings have two home games remaining on their schedule. This week they host the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday and then the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday. You can find tickets here! They then finish up on the road next Monday and Wednesday, with games shown locally on KFAA 29 and on USA Network.
Like the Dallas Mavericks built around Dirk Nowitzki, the Wings have a stunning young star who is as genuine off the court as she is on it and a solid supporting cast that’s going to be a tough out come playoff time. Check them out!
Riley Ingram is a budding young journalist covering the WNBA for the Garland Gazette and on many different assignments for Lakeview Centennial High School.
Bill Ingram is the Mayor’s Appointee and Vice-Chair of the Garland Environment and Community Advisory Board. He is a college professor, long-time journalist and contributing writer for The Garland Gazette.
