UConn legend Geno Auriemma has issued a warning to the Dallas Wings following their horrific 10-34 season, urging the organization not to waste the potential of the WNBA star Paige Bueckers.
Speaking recently in an interview, Auriemma said the Wings front office needs to do better at making a smarter, collective decision as it goes looking for its next head coach. A decision that directly involves taking Bueckers’ advice on board.
If they get a coach that doesn’t believe and doesn’t have a collaboration with Paige, that would be a difficult journey
The remarks follow the departure of Chris Koclanes’ team, after one of the worst seasons in the franchise history. The Wings now have to rebuild around Bueckers, who entered the league with massive expectations after a phenomenal collegiate career under Auriemma at UConn.
Auriemma defends his former star
Auriemma, who coached Bueckers through her college years, has been protective of her development. His message to the Wings’ leadership was clear: mishandling Bueckers’ role or failing to provide the right coaching environment could waste one of the league’s most promising young talents.
It’s like recruiting. You’re looking for a fit, someone who believes in your player as much as she believes in the team
The coach’s statement soon echoed among Wings fans, who are overwhelmingly appalled at the way the Wings have handled Bueckers’ transition into the professional league.
Pressure against the Dallas front office
The Wings’ next step might be what determines their future. After a season full of injuries, inconstancies, and locker-room chaos, the franchise desperately needs stability once again. Auriemma’s public claims add even more pressure to Dallas executives to make this next coaching decision correctly.
For Bueckers, the future of women’s basketball, proper leadership could mean the difference between realizing her potential and watching it fade in a struggling organization.
As Auriemma so beautifully phrased it: it is not about basketball, it is about providing a generation of players with an atmosphere where everyone can blossom.
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