The Dallas Wings find themselves facing their most complicated roster challenge in recent memory. With Paige Bueckers leading the franchise into the future, the pressure now turns to building around her, albeit under the looming shadow of the WNBA Expansion Draft.
With the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joining the league for the 2026 season, the draft threatens the depth the Wings have worked to assemble.
Some reports even suggest they could poach their prized asset, WNBA Rookie of the Year Bueckers.
Expansion drafts are disruptive by design, and for a team built on young developing talent, the risk of being targeted early is significant.
The Athletic’s Ben Pickman analyzed how this could affect Dallas: “Whenever the expansion draft actually takes place, the Wings will be one of the first teams from which either the Tempo or Fire selects a player,” he wrote.
“Even after designating five protected players, Dallas has several players who arguably could be selected here.
“Li Yueru, Awak Kuier and Haley Jones will all be 27 years old or younger heading into next season and have contracts that would allow the Wings – or in this exercise, an expansion team – the first opportunity to re-sign them.”
Trio with high importance
That group represents a crucial foundation for the Wings and their long-term aspirations.
Li Yueru brings size and versatility, Awak Kuier offers unique athleticism and defensive promise, and Haley Jones continues to grow as a ball-handling playmaker. The challenge is deciding which direction defines the franchise’s next five years.
Another name that drives conversation is Arike Ogunbowale, a multi-time All-Star and long-established scoring force.
Pickman claimed that the veteran All-Star guard is “another possible expansion draft target” due to her lack of protection from Dallas as an unrestricted free agent.
That means an expansion team that takes her would have to give her the core designation to ensure she plays for them in 2026.
Why Li Yueru is projected as the first expansion selection, not Paige Bueckers
Any chance of Paige Bueckers leaving appears to be slim, with her partner Azzi Fudd expected to join her in 2026 in playing for the same team.
Instead, the projection is for Li Yueru to be the first pick and this is gaining consistent momentum. The center, 26, was highly productive last season and averaged career highs in points, rebounds and blocks, while shooting 36.4 percent on 3-pointers.
That would represent a blow, given that only Bueckers had a higher on/off net rating than her. It is a rare combination and expansion teams will be drawn to big names with a track record of producing consistent numbers.
The presence of Bueckers guarantees the Dallas Wings star power. The question isn’t whether Bueckers can lead a contender, it’s whether she will have a strong pack of players behind her to help keep the franchise stabilized.
By snapping up her teammates, it seems as if Toronto and Portland could be about to shake up the order in the WNBA.
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