After losing Liz Cambage via trade and Skylar Diggin-Smith through pregnancy the Dallas Wings struggled through the 2019 season finishing eighth.
During the 2019 off season the Dallas Wings had bad news following on the heels of bad news. Liz Cambage demanded a trade and after the Liz sweep stakes finally finished she was on her way to Las Vegas. The Wings also lost Skylar Diggins-Smith to pregnancy and their season was lost.
The Wings utilised the talents of Arike Ogunbowale, but the problem for the Wings was that as a rookie, she was not up to leading a professional team which had just lost their two best players.
The Wings, through the Cambage trade managed to get a second first round pick. They have the 2nd, 9th, 15th and 21st picks in the 2020 WNBA draft. Lets look at the players the Wings can re-sign.
Skylar Diggins-Smith has been the heart and soul of this team. As mentioned earlier she sat out the 2019 season. However, such is her presence and ability to lead this team her signature is the most critical for the Wongs to secure.
Moriah Jefferson did not play a game all year. Once again she was injured, an issue which has plagued her for her entire career. However, the Wings traded for Jefferson knowing she may not play last season. This means that they will most probably work very hard to secure her signature in this free agency period.
The 6’7″ Imani McGee-Stafford is a key bench piece for any team. Her height is key to defending the rim. While she only averaged 3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game. However, her main attribute is changing the oppositions shot. The Wings should re-sign her to a team friendly deal.
Megan Gustafson ended up playing 25 games for the Wings. She only averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. From the field she shot the ball at a reasonable 49.2 percent, dragged down by her appalling 11.1 percent from deep.
With the Wings having two first round and two second round picks, Gustafson will be battling to retain her roster spot in the preseason.
Brooke McCarty
Rookie Brooke McCarty played really well for the Wings last year. She played all 34 games. She averaged 2.4 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game in 13.1 minutes. She was a solid backup point guard and should be re-signed as a future piece of the Wings puzzle.
After winning the 2017 rookie of the year Aliisha Gray, regressed in her numbers a little. the next season. A big part of this was her change in role when Liz Cambage came back. Then, thanks to the trade, Gray was partnered with Ogunbowale, creating a fairly solid tandem.
Gray had a really consistent season last year. She averaged 10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He shooting was great going at 45.7 percent from the floor, 38.4 percent from deep and 84.8 percent from the line. This is a signature that the Wings must secure.
Kaela Davis played in 33 games last season, starting 16 of them after Glory Johnson went down with injury. She performed well enough averaging 6.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Davis is not up to starting in this league yet but has the ability to be a key bench piece.
Her 32.9 percent from the floor last seasonwill go up when she is against second units or tired starters. At 6’2″ Davis offers options at both wing positions, giving the Wings flexibility. It is for this reason that the Wings will work hard to re-sign her.
Isabelle Harrison is a walking stat line. She played 31 games, starting 29 of them. She averaged 8.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. She plays with heart and competes every second that she is on the court.
She knows her role which is key for the success of any basketball team. While she is undersized at the center position, her positioning and basketball acumen allow her to defend bigger players. Her signature should be sought after by a number of teams this free agency period.
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