INDIANAPOLIS — In the back corner of a packed locker room, Jose Fernandez leaned back in his padded folding chair and took questions on the video call as if he were hosting a radio show.
He’s entertained by the pet voicing his frustration at being ignored over video call. Does the dog have a question? He asks.
Not as much so when a human asks what he would consider a successful opening day performance beyond winning.
Winning, he answers. It takes prompting for more of an answer on preparation, communication, sharing the ball, taking good shots and moving through best actions.
“I know it’s opening day,” the first-year head coach said. “But I got really high standards.”
First regular season win for Jose 🥳 pic.twitter.com/xtKEheQhM0
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) May 9, 2026
Count them accomplished, even if Fernandez had a list of improvements afterward. The Wings looked every bit the most improved team in the league in a 107-105 win over the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday in the season opener. At minimum, they earned their preseason “most fun” claim from general managers, and certainly the best overall offseason moves.
Five players, including four starters, reached double digits. It was the first season opener in WNBA history in which both teams scored at least 100 points, and Dallas is now 3-1 in season openers since 2023.
Their guards drilled open 3s, a pain point for the Fever’s over-rotation and lost assignments, on a 52.2% clip (12 of 23). Since the franchise moved to Texas in 2016, they have shot 52.2% or better from the perimeter 12 times.
Arike Ogunbowale scored a team-high 22 in 28 minutes. The Notre Dame product credited studying after missing the last 12 games of the regular season with an injury.
“He has a million plays, which is great,” said Ogunbowale, who opted to stay with Dallas in the frenzied free agency period. “There’s a lot of ways we can score.”
Paige Bueckers and Odyssey Sims, who started in the backcourt, each scored 20 on high efficiencies and sparked a high-intensity first quarter that set the tone. It later sealed the game, despite missed free throws leaving the Fever in multiple game-tying opportunities.
PAIGE IS UNREAAAAAAAL pic.twitter.com/oWjH1XbUHw
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) May 9, 2026
Bueckers was 8 of 10, patient as the Fever did their best to eliminate her vision. Sims, a member of last year’s “Hospital Fever” crew on a hardship contract, took advantage, going 8 of 11. Aziaha James came off the bench for a perfect 3 of 3 on 3s.
It didn’t show in a bucket-for-bucket contest marred by called fouls as referees adjust to offseason points of emphasis, but their defenders are pesky problems who disrupt a free-flowing team like Indiana.
Consider that drafting in the No. 1 position might prove a luxury for the Wings, versus a necessity most struggling teams require. They used it on UConn national champion shooting guard Azzi Fudd, who came off the bench in her first WNBA action. She had one 3-pointer from the corner in two attempts over 17:31 played, and worked hard to corral the Fever’s dangerous guards of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.
“Nothing, just continue to do what she’s doing,” Fernandez said of what he’s looking for from his top pick. “It’s her first year in the league. We’ve got five really talented backcourt players in Odyssey Sims, Paige, Arike, Azzi and Aziaha James.”
The frontcourt pairing of former Lynx teammates Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith can be the leveler for Dallas. Shepard was one assist and one rebound shy of a triple-double with 13 points. Smith committed her first foul early in the game and played 19:46. They were bested in the paint, 62-44.
By no means are the Wings a finished product, nor are they riding on the laurels of a three-game win streak — preseason showings included.
“We’re all humble enough to know how hard it is to get wins in this league,” Bueckers said. “I’m not one to live in the past, but I’m not even sure how long it was to get our first win last year.”
“Facts,” Ogunbowale tacked on.
It wasn’t until the fifth game against lowly Connecticut. And it was their only W in a 12-game stretch to start the season, stretching an entire month to June 13. Five of those were in double digits, and they went on to finish 10-34 to secure the best chances in the lottery and win a second consecutive No. 1 pick.
That’s in large part why Fernandez departed a legendary career at South Florida for a mired pro organization in North Texas.
It’s off to a solid start. Bueckers telling reporters they’re remaining focused on winning the day and the practice to build it is one of the better things he’s heard all day.