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On Friday afternoon, the Dallas Wings announced the firing of head coach Latricia Trammell after two seasons. Having led the Wings to a 22-18 record and first-round playoff victory in 2023 (the franchise’s best season since 2008), Trammell’s team sputtered to a 9-31 mark in 2024, hampered by injuries and defensive regression.
Trammell is fourth WNBA head coach fired since the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, joining the Los Angeles Sparks’ Curt Miller, Chicago Sky’s Teresa Weatherspoon and Atlanta Dream’s Tanisha Wright. With the first of three expansion teams entering the league in 2025, along with the impending negotiation of a new CBA, organizations are demonstrating little patience for subpar performances, with head coaches, none having spent more than three seasons with their team, paying the price.
In a statement on Trammell, Dallas president and CEO Greg Bibb said:
After an extensive review of our basketball operations department, which included interviews and conversations with stakeholders across our organization, I have made the decision to relieve Latricia Trammell of her head coaching duties with the Dallas Wings. On behalf of our entire organization I thank Latricia for her efforts and wish her well moving forward.
Soon after her dismissal, Trammell shared the following with The Next’s Howard Medgal:
It has been an absolute honor to work with such talented players, staff, and to be supported by the most passionate fans. The relationships built, lessons learned, and memories made will remain with me always. I’m grateful to the media for their coverage and support throughout my time here. Though this chapter closes, I’m looking forward to the next coaching opportunity. I love this league and everything it stands for. I’m incredibly proud of the growth we achieved together and wish nothing but continued success for this team. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.
Recently, Amber Cox, Dallas’ chief operating officer since 2022, left the organization to become the COO and general manager of the Indiana Fever. Bibb’s statement indicated he will hire a new general manager, who then will hire the new head coach. The statement reads:
As part of our year-end review process, and in conjunction with our organizational long-term strategic planning, I have decided to expand and strengthen our basketball operations through the hiring of a general manager who will oversee the day-to-day operation of our basketball group. The search for this individual has already begun and I hope to have more news on this hire soon. The general manager will lead the search for the next head coach of the Dallas Wings.
According to The Next, the organization has interest in Miller and Katie Smith, an associate coach with the Minnesota Lynx, as general manager candidates. The head coaching hire will be Dallas’ fifth since 2018.
Changes are happening with the Dallas Wings.
Latricia Trammell is OUT as the head coach, and Greg Bibb will hand over his General Manager duties, @TheNextHoops first to report.
Wings have interest in Curt Miller and Lynx associate coach Katie Smith as potential GMs.
— Jasmine Harper (@harperxxwrites) October 18, 2024
Dallas, however, does profile as an attractive job. Arike Ogunbowale was named to the All-WNBA Second Team, capping off a season in which she was second in the league in scoring and the MVP of the All-Star Game. Although an impending unrestricted free agent, Satou Sabally flashed her superstar skillset in the 15 games in which she played, having missed the season’s first 25 contests recovering from an offseason shoulder injury.
The Wings also have a strong chance of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. With the second-best odds, the Wings have a 27.6 percent chance of landing the top pick through their own lottery balls. The team also has the right to swap picks with the Sky, a relic of the 2023 trade that sent Marina Mabrey to Chicago. The Wings, therefore, effectively own the Sky’s 17.8 percent odds, giving them a combined 45.4 percent chance of earning the opportunity to select first in the 2025 draft.