The Dallas Wings are running it back. After one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2025, they’re looking to fix what went wrong. And with their latest move involving Jessica Shepard, they may be going about it the right way.
In a move that has everyone talking, the franchise has agreed to a multi-year deal with forward Shepard. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. After losing key frontcourt pieces (center Luisa Geiselsöder and guard/forward Haley Jones) to the Portland Fire in the expansion draft, the Wings needed the right fit to fill gaps on their roster, and with her, they’ve found one.
This signing will bring a proven interior presence at a time when Dallas needed size, efficiency, and veteran reliability. Shepard checks all three of those boxes.
Breaking: Forward Jessica Shepard has agreed to join the Dallas Wings on a multi-year deal, sources told ESPN.
She previously played five seasons in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx. Averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game off the bench in 2025.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 10, 2026
At 6-foot-4, Jessica Shepard has built her reputation as one of the league’s most effective forwards. You may not have always heard about her dominating the headlines, but her impact is undeniable. After spending her entire WNBA career with the Minnesota Lynx, she will now arrive in Dallas, coming off arguably the best season of her career.
In 2025, Shepard played all 40 games for Minnesota and averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in just over 20 minutes per game. But what truly stood out was her efficiency. She shot a career-best 63.8% from the field.
That performance didn’t go unnoticed, as she finished third in WNBA Sixth Player of the Year voting. However, we would be lying if we said her journey has always been linear.
In her rookie season, she suffered an ACL injury just after six games. Because of that, her career was put on hold for an entire year. But now that she has spent multiple seasons working her way back to full form and a fully healthy campaign behind her, Shepard is all set to play the role of key contributor in the Dallas Wings’ frontcourt.
But beyond how well she will fit with the team, there’s another layer to this move.
Jessica Shepard Rekindles Championship Connection in Dallas
Long before the WNBA, Jessica Shepard shared the court with Arike Ogunbowale at Notre Dame, where the two led the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 2018. Now, years later, they will reunite in Dallas with a clear goal of helping reshape a franchise looking to bounce back.
And that matters.
For a team that is trying to build both talent and culture in its franchise, having players who already understand each other’s games can fast-track chemistry in a way most new signings cannot. It’s the kind of built-in familiarity teams often spend months trying to develop.
With Ogunbowale already committing to Dallas on a multi-year deal of her own, the front office is clearly working with the mindset of building a championship contender.
But hey, the Wings still have more work to do before this roster is complete.
No Clear Favorite, But Dallas Controls the Board
Holding the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings find themselves in a rare position.
For the second straight year, the franchise controls the top selection, but unlike 2025, when Paige Bueckers was the clear-cut choice, this time there is no consensus No. 1. And that changes everything.
With multiple prospects in the mix, including names like Awa Fam, Lauren Betts, Azzi Fudd, and Olivia Miles, the Wings have options, but with multiple options also comes pressure.
Fam brings international experience and long-term upside as a rising Spanish center, while Betts just led UCLA to a national championship with her dominant presence in the paint. On the perimeter, Fudd offers elite shooting and star power after her standout run at UConn, and that’s where Fudd holds an advantage. She already has chemistry with Bueckers. Yes, they are both also a couple, but right now we are talking about on-court chemistry.
Bueckers and Fudd led the Huskies to their 12th national championship together. And with Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale already sharing that college chemistry, the Wings could now form another duo with a proven winning pedigree.
In the end, whoever they decide to pick will reveal the tone they plan to set for the upcoming season. The good news? Fans won’t have to wait much longer, with the 2026 WNBA Draft set to take place in just 48 hours.
