Over the final 12 days of 2018, each day we will look back at the year that was for a WNBA team, reminiscing over some of the best moments from the past year and looking ahead to the upcoming year as well. Up next is the Dallas Wings, a team that experienced great highs and great lows in 2018 and have plenty of questions heading into 2019.

Season Recap
Record: 15-19, one-game dropoff from 2017
Finish: 5^th in Western Conference, 8^th overall
Postseason: Eliminated in first round for second straight year
Awards: Liz Cambage, All-WNBA First Team and Peak Performer (Points); Skylar Diggins-Smith, All-WNBA Second Team; Azura Stevens, All-Rookie Team
Leaders: Points (Cambage, 23.0); Rebounds (Cambage, 9.7); Assists (Diggins-Smith, 6.2); Steals (Diggins-Smith, 1.4); Blocks (Cambage, 1.7); 3-Pointers (Diggins-Smith, 1.6)

Key Offseason Questions

Will Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins-Smith play in 2019?

The Wings endured a rough close to the 2018 season, losing 11 of their final 12 games (including a first round playoff exit); they made a coaching change during that losing streak. A week ago, the Wings hired Brian Agler as its new head coach shortly after he stepped down from the same position with the Los Angeles Sparks, who he guided to the 2016 championship and two Finals appearances during his four-year tenure.

Agler is walking into a situation where his two All-WNBA stars may not be in uniform in 2019. Diggins-Smith announced in the fall that she is pregnant and will likely miss at least a portion of the 2019 season as she welcomes her first child and recovers from the pregnancy. Cambage has not committed to returning to the Wings in 2019 after she finished as the MVP runner-up in 2018 – her first season in the WNBA in four years.

Other questions will arise surrounding whom to select in the draft (the Wings hold the No. 5 overall pick), which players to retain or go after in free agency, how Agler can infuse a championship culture into the team. But none come close to matching the importance of the duo of Diggins-Smith and Cambage, who combined to average 40.9 of Dallas’ 86.7 points per game (47.2%) last season as they established themselves as one of the best guard-post duos in the game.

Best On-Court Moment

Liz Cambage’s WNBA-record 53-Point Performance

Cambage’s brilliant scoring performance against the New York Liberty was a sight to behold. She finished with a WNBA-record 53 points, breaking the 51-point mark set by Riquna Williams when she was a member of the Tulsa Shock (prior to the franchise’s relocation to Dallas). Cambage was dominant and efficient, scoring from all over the court, and setting a new bar for scoring that will be tough to beat.

Cambage and Diggins-Smith representing the Wings at All-Star

As recognition for their outstanding play, both Cambage and Diggins-Smith were selected as WNBA All-Stars. The Dallas teammates remained All-Star teammates as they were both selected as part of Team Parker, with Cambage being a starter and Diggins-Smith as a reserve. Cambage finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Diggins-Smith flirted with a triple-double as she tallied 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in just 18 minutes off the bench for the victorious Team Parker. In addition to being named All-Stars, the Wings duo would go on to earn All-WNBA honors at season’s end, a first for Cambage (First Team) and a third honor for Diggins-Smith (Second Team).

Azura Stevens making the All-Rookie Team

The Wings enter the WNBA with the fifth overall pick and if the last two years have proven anything, its that there is outstanding talent to be had outside of the top three picks. In 2017, the Wings selected Allisha Gray, who would go on to win Rookie of the Year. In 2018, the Wings selected Azura Stevens, who earned All-Rookie team honors.  Steven’s all-around game made her a top prospect and she showcased her skills during her rookie campaign, finishing in the top 10 amongst rookies in six categories (scoring average, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, blocks and steals).

Best Off-Court Moment

Signing Cambage for the 2018 Season

The Wings officially signed Liz Cambage to a multi-year contract on Feb. 5, but the work to bring the Australian center back to the WNBA had been in motion for more than a year. As she proved during the season, Cambage is a game-changer on the court, but the effort placed on getting her to Dallas must be recognized as well.

Hiring Brian Agler as head coach

When Brian Agler left the L.A. Sparks and became a coaching free agent, the Wings were read to pounce on a coach with a proven track record and championship experience. In fact, he is the only coach in WNBA history to lead two different franchises to championships as he won the 2010 title with Seattle and the 2016 title with Los Angeles. Can he make it a third during his time in Dallas?

Diggins-Smith honored for charitable work

In July, Diggins-Smith was named the recipient of the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her outstanding work in the community in 2017 and the most recent offseason (early 2018). Diggins-Smith was honored for her support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and her positive impact on youth basketball.

GIF of the Year

Liz Cambage is the GIF gift that keeps on giving, as her exuberant personality leads to great reactions, celebrations, dance moves, and even shout outs to her mom. But to go with all of those fun-loving moments is an intense competitor, as this GIF shows Cambage looking to fire up herself, her teammates and the crowd after a key play against Las Vegas, who the Wings edged out for the final playoff berth.

New Year’s Resolution

In the song Step Into a World (Rapture’s Delight), legendary Bronx rapper KRS-One brags about his place among fellow MCs with this outstanding line:

“I’m not sayin’ I’m number one, uhh I’m sorry, I lied
I’m number one, two, three, four and five”

For the Wings, priorities “number one, two, three, four and five” are to get Liz Cambage back in a Dallas Wings uniform in 2019. In order to build this team into a title contender, the Wings need Cambage as a centerpiece to their team. It’s just that simple.