The Dallas Wings dropped their second straight game Friday night, falling 88-78 to the Indiana Fever at home. Following the loss, head coach Chris Koclanes drew widespread attention for his candid postgame remarks on the physicality of the matchup and his team’s ongoing struggles to establish toughness early in games.
Speaking to ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta and other reporters, Koclanes credited Indiana’s aggressive style and emphasized the importance of effort and grit.
“No excuses – proud of our resilience in the fourth quarter, but again we need a toughness right from the tip and that’s a great team to learn from,” Koclanes said.
“That game was all about toughness and physicality, it came out with them stagnating us offensively – we couldn’t do anything, couldn’t get any type of movement or separation and then on the boards as well. When you’re missing shots, you have to play even harder on the other end to give yourself a chance and be able to find ways to win when the ball is not going in.”
Wings HC Chris Koclanes says the Fever are a “great team to learn from” when it comes to toughness pic.twitter.com/FkdPO3iQXs
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) August 2, 2025
Koclanes’ remarks quickly gained traction on social media, sparking discussion about the Wings’ identity and approach as the team continues to navigate a difficult season.
Paige Bueckers leads Wings in loss to Fever as team prepares for Liberty
Rookie guard Paige Bueckers led Dallas in scoring with 22 points, adding four rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 7-for-14 shooting. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line in 34 minutes.
Myisha Hines-Allen followed with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals off the bench, posting a team-best plus-minus of +6 in 18 minutes.
The loss dropped the Wings to 8-21 on the season and closed out a four-game homestand with a 1-3 record. Dallas struggled to find rhythm on both ends, as Indiana controlled tempo, limited ball movement, and won the rebounding battle.
Next up, the Wings will travel to face the New York Liberty in back-to-back games. The Liberty, reigning WNBA champions, recently signed 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman, who was set to debut Friday night but did not play. Head coach Sandy Brondello said Meesseman would have only entered in case of an emergency.
New York lost its fourth consecutive game Friday, falling 78-62 to the Connecticut Sun. The Liberty dropped to 17-10 on the season but remain first in the Eastern Conference.
Dallas will meet New York on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV before returning home for a rematch Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION.
As the season enters its final stretch, Koclanes and the Wings continue to search for solutions and consistency, with physical effort and defensive intensity now central themes in their push for improvement.
