3 Things Wings Must Do to Succeed in Playoffs
The Dallas Wings enter the 2023 playoffs as the league's fourth best team. With home-court advantage on their side, how far might they go?
The Dallas Wings closed out September with a 3-2 record. The team finished the season with a 17-point victory against the Atlanta Dream. Now, Dallas will again face the Dream in the opening round of the playoffs.
This is good news for the Wings, who went 3-0 against Atlanta this season. Dallas averaged 88 points per game against the Dream and won all three games by 12 or more points.
Since becoming the Wings, Dallas has failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. If the team hopes to break the cycle, they must continue their in-season dominance.
Here are three things the Wings must do if they hope to move on past the first round and possibly more.
1. Utilize Teaira McCowan down low
One of the main reasons for Dallas’ success this season is the production of center Teaira McCowan. She averaged a near-double-double with 11.9 points and 9.1 rebounds this year.
Against the Dream this season, she averaged 8.3 points and 10.0 boards.
McCowan dropped 12 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent in the team’s last game.
Utilizing her presence down low is crucial if Dallas hopes to move on.
On paper, she is listed as 6’7. This is three inches taller than any of the Dream’s forwards. Atlanta tends to go with a three-guard and two-forward starting lineup.
So, the solution is simple: feed McCowan (and Kalani Brown) down low and let her dominate the paint. Assuming she can stay out of foul trouble and not get caught up with the referees, then this shouldn’t be a problem.
2. Shot the Ball Well Beyond the Arc
One of the Wings’ main weaknesses this season was shooting the ball from the three-point line. This season, Dallas shot a league-worst 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. Only Satou Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale shot 34 percent or better from the three-point line.
Against Atlanta, the Wings shot 27.8 percent from behind the arc. The team made five of their 18 three-point attempts.
Making outside shots will be crucial for the Wings’ playoff success. Rookie Lou Lopez Sénéchal was expected to return in time for the playoffs, but that will not happen. Her return would have been helpful for Dallas. In college, she shot 40% from the three-point line.
If Dallas hopes to make a deep playoff run, they must shoot better from the arc. Teams like the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty all shot 37 percent or better from the three during the season.
The answer is simple: Make your outside shots.
3. Increase Bench Production
Recently, I wrote the importance of Dallas’ bench production. This remains crucial if the team hopes to make a deep playoff run.
Against Atlanta last week, the Wings tallied 23 points from the bench. Players like Kalani Brown and Awak Kuier made an impact as they combined for 14 points and nine rebounds.
The problem is getting consistent production from other role players like Maddy Siegrist and Odyssey Sims. This doesn’t mean dropping 12 points per game but instead providing a variety of stats across the board.
Could a bench consisting of Diamond DeShields and Lou Lopez Sénéchal make a difference?
It’s very possible. Remember, DeShields once averaged 16 points per game while shooting 40% from the field.
The problem is Dallas’ bench can do a little bit of everything from grabbing boards and playing defense however, making high-quality points is one of their weakness.
If Dallas can do these three things and more, then the team might succeed beyond the first round.