Paige Bueckers’ Wings named best landing spot for Caitlin Clark’s All-Star teammate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Injuries interrupted Caitlin Clark’s second season in the WNBA, but the Indiana Fever‘s concerted effort to maximize her skillset and build around her came with an unexpected dividend: a WNBA semifinals appearance, where the Fever battled the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces and came within one win of reaching the WNBA Finals.
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Time will tell how the Dallas Wings are going to approach building around Paige Bueckers, their own blossoming superstar. Bueckers followed Clark as a WNBA Rookie of the Year winner, but Dallas finished with the joint-worst record in the league. The prospect of a second consecutive #1 overall pick in 2026 should bring another exciting prospect to Dallas, but the Wings also are likely to be aggressive in free agency — in part relying on a sales pitch of playing with Bueckers to bring in veterans who will help open a contention window.
In an unprecedented offseason, practically every WNBA player who is not on a rookie contract will hit the market as a free agent. The highly-anticipated free agent bonanza will lead to players making surprise moves, heading to surprise destinations — such as Dallas pursuing Indiana’s All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell.
MORE: Wings are eyeing a major win-now move to help Paige Bueckers
The Athletic has identified Dallas and Seattle as ideal landing spots for Mitchell, a three-time All-Star who is regarded as one of the league’s most dangerous scorers. Though the Fever have insisted that re-signing Mitchell is their top priority this offseason, they will have to come with a strong offer for the Ohio native — who, on paper, would be a great fit next to Bueckers in the Wings’ backcourt.
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Mitchell averaged 20.2 points per game last season, and her reliable 3-pointer would complement Bueckers’ playmaking and lethal midrange shot. Mitchell’s arrival would end franchise icon Arike Ogunbowale’s seven-year run in Dallas; the four-time All-Star had a career-worst year in 2025, averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting 36 percent from the floor.
The uncertainty around a new collective bargaining agreement and a related work stoppage looms over the start of free agency. But once the madness begins, Dallas should be aggressive in remaking its team around Bueckers — and swiping a key player from Clark and the Fever would be a strong statement of the Wings’ intent.
