Dallas Wings Staying Sharp: Arike Plays 1s, Smith & Carrington Stay Late

ARLINGTON — The Dallas Wings don’t tip off until tomorrow, but the work started way before game day.

Practice ended, but Arike Ogunbowale kept going. Calling for ones, locking in against teammates, and turning the gym into her mini battleground.

Ogunbowale ran it back with Ty Harris and DiJonai Carrington in post-practice shooting drills, still locked in, still sharp. That competitiveness? It’s contagious. It’s permeating throughout the franchise.

Carrington stayed after, too. Quiet, focused, just her and the jumper she’s been working out now for days now. Carrignton is ready to step into a different position on the floor. As one of the leaders, she understands the tone she needs to set. She’s ready to embrace her challenge as one of the leaders on the team.

Same with NaLyssa Smith, who stayed over an hour working on her midrange game. Just rhythm, repetition, and sweat.

Additionally, Smith’s also soaking up every moment next to Myisha Hines-Allen, who’s been both a vet presence and a positional mentor.

“You bond more with people that are at your position,” Smith said. “So I’d definitely say Myisha. She sees the floor well, she’s patient when she plays—that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from her.”

This group does not coast. They have been working on their individual games and have been locked in all season. Defensively they know they have a lot of room to grow. Offensively, they know they can be very special.

“A lot of intention offensively today,” said head coach Chris Koclanes. “Establishing our initial spacing… if we can do that consistently, we can take care of what we want to take care of and truly flow.”

That’s been the vibe all week—find the spacing, then let the chemistry do the rest. Maddy Siegrist’s feeling it.

“I think we compete and we’re really versatile,” she said. “When you put those together, you get good results. We’ve got a young group, a lot of new pieces together. Just building the chemistry has been the focus the past few weeks.”

Assistant coach Nola Henry has been another spark.

Vocal. Intentional. Always in somebody’s ear—pulling, pushing, lifting. Henry is constantly staying in players ears about getting up more reps. Henry has been instrumental to the Wings gaining more player development. Whether it’s Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale or DiJonai Carrington, she has been pushing for more greatness out of all of each of them.

And then there’s Mai Yamamoto. New to the team, but already loved. She and Myisha shared a long hug as practice wrapped, just one soft moment in a gym that’s all grit, all growth. Funny enough, Yamamoto will be playing against her Japanese team, in the Toyota Antelopes

Tip-off is tomorrow. But this team’s already clocked in.