The 2016 WNBA season was the 19th season for the Dallas Wings franchise in the Women's National Basketball Association. It was their first in Dallas, Texas after relocating from Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1] It was the third season under head coach Fred Williams.
The Wings began the season with three games on the road, and they won two, defeating Indiana and Washington but losing to New York. Their first game in their new home came against in-state rivals San Antonio on May 21. Dallas won 82–77 to mark their first win in their new home in front of a sell-out crowd. However, they would go on to lose their next two home games to finish May 3–3. Their losing streak extended into June, where they lost their first four games. Two of those losses were against eventual WNBA Finalists Minnesota and Los Angeles. The team extended its streaky performance by winning their next four games, including two wins, one in overtime, over Phoenix. The Wings lost two and won one game to finish June 5–6. Continuing to over around .500, Dallas lost its opening game of July and defeated Phoenix again in the second game. The team then hit a rough spot, losing its next six games to close out July. The streak did include an overtime loss to Minnesota and two five-point losses to Atlanta. The team's fortunes did not turn around after the Olympic break where they lost all three games in August and the first two games in September. They ended the losing streak at eleven by defeating San Antonio. They would only win one of their last three games, against New York. The Wings finished 11–23 overall and in 5th place in the Western Conference.
See main article: article and 2016 WNBA draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Aerial Powers | Michigan State | ||
| 2 | 18 | Ruth Hamblin | Oregon State Beaver | ||
| 3 | 30 | Shakena Richardson | Seton Hall |
| Date | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| February 22 | Signed Glory Johnson | |
| March 1 | Signed Riquna Williams | |
| Acquired Erin Phillips, the 5th pick in the 2016 WNBA draft, and the 11th pick in the 2017 WNBA draft from Los Angeles in exchange for Riquna Williams and the 6th pick in the 2016 WNBA draft.[2] | ||
| May 11 | Acquired the 10th overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft from New York in exchange for Amanda Zahui B. and the 14th overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft.[3] | |
|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| May 1
12:00 pm| @ Indiana| L 90–108| Aerial Powers (17)| Aerial Powers (6)| Powers, Schimmel (4)| Bankers Life Fieldhouse
6,214| 0–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 2| May 8
1:30 pm| Connecticut| L 74–82| Glory Johnson (13)| Johnson, Powers (9)| Erin Phillips (6)| College Park Center
2,326| 0–2
|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 1 || May 14 || @ Indiana || W 90–79 || Plenette Pierson (17) || Courtney Paris (9) || Odyssey Sims (4) || Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8,569 || 1–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 2 || May 15 || @ New York || L 71–79 || Plaisance, Sims (14) || Courtney Paris (12) || Erin Phillips (5) || Madison Square Garden
10,120 || 1–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 3 || May 18 || @ Washington || W 87–77 || Odyssey Sims (22) || Karima Christmas-Kelly (10) || Courtney Paris (4) || Verizon Center
5,618 || 2–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 4 || May 21 || San Antonio || W 82–77 || Odyssey Sims (23) || Courtney Paris (15) || Erin Phillips (4) || College Park Center
7,275 || 3–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 5 || May 27 || Atlanta || L 93–102 || Christmas-Kelly, Powers (16) || Courtney Paris (14) || Odyssey Sims (5) || College Park Center
4,712 || 3–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 6 || May 29 || Chicago || L 87–92 || Odyssey Sims (23) || Courtney Paris (9) || Karima Christmas-Kelly (6) || College Park Center
5,297 || 3–3|- style="background:#fcc;"| 7 || June 4 || @ Minnesota || L 63–80 || Aerial Powers (20) || Courtney Paris (8) || Kiesel, Sims (4) || Target Center
7,634 || 3–4|- style="background:#fcc;"| 8 || June 8 || Washington || L 79–87 || Aerial Powers (17) || Karima Christmas-Kelly (10) || Odyssey Sims (9) || College Park Center
4,177 || 3–5|- style="background:#fcc;"| 9 || June 11 || Los Angeles || L 73–97 || Odyssey Sims (18) || Glory Johnson (6) || Odyssey Sims (3) || College Park Center
5,061 || 3–6|- style="background:#fcc;"| 10 || June 14 || @ New York || L 88–91 || Karima Christmas-Kelly (21) || Courtney Paris (10) || Odyssey Sims (5) || Madison Square Garden
7,939 || 3–7|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 11 || June 16 || Seattle || W 88–79 || Christmas-Kelly, Sims (17) || Courtney Paris (10) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (5) || College Park Center
4,622 || 4–7|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 12 || June 18 || @ Phoenix || W 117–111 (OT) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (27) || Courtney Paris (12) || Odyssey Sims (6) || Talking Stick Resort Arena
10,235 || 5–7|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 13 || June 21 || Phoenix || W 100–90 || Skylar Diggins-Smith (20) || Glory Johnson (10) || Odyssey Sims (9) || College Park Center
6,819 || 6–7|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 14 || June 23 || San Antonio || W 97–90 || Plenette Pierson (21) || Glory Johnson (11) || Diggins-Smith, Sims (5) || College Park Center
4,027 || 7–7|- style="background:#fcc;"| 15 || June 25 || Indiana || L 92–87 || Karima Christmas-Kelly (21) || Karima Christmas-Kelly (12) || Christmas-Kelly, Diggins-Smith (4) || College Park Center
5,206 || 7–8|- style="background:#fcc;"| 16 || June 28 || @ Los Angeles || L 84–89 || Skylar Diggins-Smith (29) || Christmas-Kelly, Paris (7) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (7) || Staples Center
7,823 || 7–9|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 17 || June 30 || @ Seattle || W 83–78 || Aerial Powers (19) || Courtney Paris (12) || Karima Christmas-Kelly (5) || KeyArena
5,365 || 8–9|- style="background:#fcc;"| 18 || July 2 || Connecticut || L 83–86 || Glory Johnson (16) || Glory Johnson (12) || Christmas-Kelly, Diggins-Smith, Sims (2) || College Park Center
5,108 || 8–10|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 19 || July 5 || Phoenix || W 77–74 || Glory Johnson (23) || Glory Johnson (22) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (4) || College Park Center
5,480 || 9–10|- style="background:#fcc;"| 20 || July 8 || @ Atlanta || L 90–95 || Karima Christmas-Kelly (18) || Christmas-Kelly, Johnson (15) || Odyssey Sims (5) || Philips Arena
6,745 || 9–11|- style="background:#fcc;"| 21 || July 9 || @ Minnesota || L 56–93 || Phillips, Powers (9) || Courtney Paris (6) || Kiesel, Phillips, Sims (2) || Target Center
7,613 || 9–12|- style="background:#fcc;"| 22 || July 15 || @ Chicago || L 77–84 || Plenette Pierson (20) || Courtney Paris (8) || Odyssey Sims (6) || Allstate Arena
6,012 || 9–13|- style="background:#fcc;"| 23 || July 17 || Minnesota || L 97–98 (OT) || Plenette Pierson (21) || Plenette Pierson (11) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (9) || College Park Center
5,752 || 9–14|- style="background:#fcc;"| 24 || July 20 || Connecticut || L 78–89 || Odyssey Sims (20) || Courtney Paris (11) || Odyssey Sims (8) || College Park Center
4,873 || 9–15|- style="background:#fcc;"| 25 || July 22 || @ Atlanta || L 88–93 || Skylar Diggins-Smith (29) || Courtney Paris (10) || Plenette Pierson (7) || McCamish Pavilion
4,749 || 9–16|- style="background:#fcc;"| 26 || August 26 || @ Phoenix || L 72–98 || Plenette Pierson (23) || Plenette Pierson (8) || Bias, Diggins-Smith, Sims (3) || Talking Stick Resort Arena
11,396 || 9–17|- style="background:#fcc;"| 27 || August 28 || Chicago || L 85–92 || Odyssey Sims (22) || Aerial Powers (8) || Plenette Pierson (6) || College Park Center
5,651 || 9–18|- style="background:#fcc;"| 28 || August 31 || @ Seattle || L 66–78 || Plenette Pierson (19) || Glory Johnson (9) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (5) || KeyArena
6,771 || 9–19|- style="background:#fcc;"| 29 || September 2 || Los Angeles || L 79–87 || Odyssey Sims (26) || Glory Johnson (15) || Christmas-Kelly, Diggins-Smith, Powers, Sims (2) || College Park Center
5,176 || 9–20|- style="background:#fcc;"| 30 || September 4 || Washington || L 83–88 || Skylar Diggins-Smith (25) || Plenette Pierson (11) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (4) || College Park Center
5,162 || 9–21|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 31 || September 9 || @ San Antonio || W 92–84 || Odyssey Sims (20) || Courtney Paris (11) || Odyssey Sims (7) || AT&T Center
7,425 || 10–21|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 32 || September 11 || New York || W 84–81 || Karima Christmas-Kelly (23) || Courtney Paris (12) || Christmas-Kelly, Phillips, Sims (2) || College Park Center
5,662 || 11–21|- style="background:#fcc;"| 33 || September 16 || @ Connecticut || L 74–107 || Theresa Plaisance (22) || Courtney Paris (7) || Skylar Diggins-Smith (5) || Mohegan Sun Arena
6,228 || 11–22|- style="background:#fcc;"| 34 || September 18 || @ Indiana || L 60–83 || Karima Christmas-Kelly (12) || Christmas-Kelly, Paris, Plaisance (5) || Diggins-Smith, Sims (4) || Bankers Life Fieldhouse
17,704 || 11–23
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odyssey Sims | 34 | 30 | 31.6 | 35.3% | 28.0% | 88.3% | 2.5 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 14.0 | |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | 27 | 25 | 28.3 | 39.0% | 29.9% | 78.8% | 1.9 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 13.1 | |
| Karima Christmas-Kelly | 34 | 34 | 31.6 | 40.0% | 31.7% | 79.6% | 5.9 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 12.4 | |
| Plenette Pierson | 27 | 27 | 26.6 | 38.7% | 33.7% | 82.9% | 4.6 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 11.9 | |
| Glory Johnson | 18 | 6 | 27.9 | 44.2% | 28.6% | 75.3% | 8.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 11.3 | |
| Aerial Powers | 32 | 2 | 19.2 | 39.4% | 36.8% | 83.5% | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 10.4 | |
| Courtney Paris | 34 | 32 | 24.3 | 54.8% | 0.0% | 55.6% | 8.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 7.7 | |
| Erin Phillips | 32 | 12 | 14.6 | 43.8% | 38.3% | 90.6% | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 4.7 | |
| Theresa Plaisance | 27 | 1 | 11.9 | 39.8% | 33.3% | 63.6% | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 4.0 | |
| Jordan Hooper | 32 | 1 | 9.1 | 37.5% | 34.1% | 87.5% | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 3.7 | |
| Tiffany Bias | 10 | 0 | 6.4 | 34.8% | 27.3% | 83.3% | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.9 | |
| Ruth Hamblin | 20 | 0 | 6.5 | 25.0% | — | 71.4% | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | |
| Brianna Kiesel | 14 | 0 | 7.4 | 17.4% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.9 |