{"id":833333,"date":"2026-09-11T22:06:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T22:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/833333\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T22:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T22:06:18","slug":"dallas-wings-prepare-for-seasons-final-stretch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/833333\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Wings prepare for season’s final stretch"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON, Texas \u2014 The Dallas Wings returned to practice at College Park Center this week, with a few absences. With the FIBA World Cup<\/a> ongoing, the team has been without head coach Jose Fernandez (United States), guard Paige Bueckers<\/a> (United States), forward Alanna Smith<\/a> (Australia) and guard Costanza Verona<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The assistant coaches and players who aren\u2019t in Berlin have gotten back to work after a week off, preparing for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Assistant coach Mike Neighbors likened the World Cup break to a \u201cChristmas break\u201d at the college level. He told The IX Sports that he was impressed with the team\u2019s effort returning to practice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou worry about whether they\u2019re going to be rested or rusty,\u201d Neighbors said Tuesday. \u201cThis group came back \u2014 they\u2019re pros. You can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

One player the week off was particularly beneficial for was forward Awak Kuier<\/a>. The 6\u20196 forward had been playing her best basketball in recent games but was playing through an ankle injury before the break.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c[The break] just came at the right time,\u201d Kuier told The IX Sports on Tuesday. \u201cWhen you have injuries like an ankle, the more you use it, the more painful it gets. I feel like it was very important for me to have those days to come back because now I feel great. I feel perfectly fine. So I feel like that was much needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kuier was also happy with how the team came back to practice and acknowledged what lies ahead for Dallas starting next week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always tough to come back from a vacation, especially in the middle of the season. I feel like that doesn\u2019t happen as often,\u201d she said. \u201cBut honestly, everybody\u2019s just happy to be back and happy to work because now starts the most important part of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the team\u2019s next game not coming until Sept. 17, the team isn\u2019t yet focused on scouting its next opponent. The week has instead provided Dallas time to work on itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything we\u2019ve done is with Jose\u2019s blessing, so to speak,\u201d assistant coach David Adkins told reporters Wednesday. \u201cBefore he left, we met, planned out what we wanted to do, and this week has been more about us, about how we want to get back, get our legs under us, get our conditioning, get our touch and feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Still, the team\u2019s work now is in service of ending the regular season strong and making noise in the playoffs. Veterans Arike Ogunbowale<\/a>, Odyssey Sims<\/a> and Alysha Clark<\/a> could be heard addressing the team in a post-practice huddle Wednesday, with an emphasis on attention to detail and having a playoff mentality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about being a player-led team, and that\u2019s where this is going,\u201d Adkins said. \u201c\u2026 When you have players like AC, like Odyssey, like Arike, even [Jessica Shepard<\/a>] and [Smith], they all got playoff experience. They\u2019ve got years in this league, and when you have that, you have to listen because they\u2019ve done what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wings, who are currently eighth in the standings (at the bottom of a three-way tiebreaker), have four games left to try to improve their positioning. All of those games will be against nonplayoff teams. Neighbors said that the team isn\u2019t overlooking the upcoming schedule at all, but with the eight playoff teams already decided<\/a>, the current break provides an opportunity for postseason prep.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can start working on playoffs a little bit,\u201d he told reporters Friday. \u201cNot that you\u2019re looking past LA or not that you\u2019re looking past Phoenix; we haven\u2019t played them in forever. [We\u2019re] certainly not going to look past Seattle. But you can start preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep The IX Sports at your next game! <\/p>\n

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The Wings are 7-15 against the other playoff teams this season, though they won the season series against the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty and Indiana Fever. Before their most recent win over Indiana, they had lost eight straight games against playoff opponents in a tough stretch<\/a> from mid-July to mid-August. What the team learned from that, according to Neighbors, is that \u201cevery possession matters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been something that was talked about a lot, but we kind of had to go through it,\u201d Neighbors told The IX Sports. \u201cWe had a lot of games that were one or two possessions, and it\u2019s not always the last possession. Everybody focuses on that one, but it could be the third play of the game. It could be the first play of the second half. It could be the 17th play of the second quarter that makes the difference. But I think this group has learned that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Specific areas Neighbors feels the Wings can clean up ahead of the playoffs include screening and on-ball defense. But he said the main difference will be execution and playing to their strengths.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you get into the playoffs, everybody knows your plays. Everybody knows your play calls. Everybody\u2019s done the scout. They\u2019ve got your tendencies. It comes down to those teams that execute and can do what they\u2019re capable of [and] be the best version of themselves,\u201d Neighbors said. \u201cYou can\u2019t be good at everything. So be good at those things you\u2019re good at.\u201d<\/p>\n

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