On Thursday morning, Dallas Wings General Manager Curt Miller spoke to the media after day five of Wings training camp. He spoke about a variety of different topics, from giving an update on the five players Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard, Alanna Smith, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, and Awak Kuier, who are currently not with the team due to overseas commitments.
Dulcy Mendjiadeu, who recently won the Sebrian champion and secured her immigration status.
“Dulcy has won the Serbian championship, has received her immigration approval, and will be on a flight back to the United States on Saturday. Dulcy will arrive in Dallas on Saturday,” said Miller.
The next update was on Jessica Shepard, who was playing in the second game of the Italian league championship when Miller addressed the media on Thursday.
“Jessica Shepard and Costanza Verona are, as we speak, probably getting ready to tip off in Game 2 of the Italian League Championship Series. They are down 1-0 in the best of three. If they lose today, there is a chance that they are both on a flight Saturday. If they win today and force a Game 3, the likely scenario is that Shepard and Verona will be on a flight Monday back to the States.”
Wings’ franchise leader in points, Arike Ogunbowale, is currently playing in the Chinese league and is scheduled to return as early as Monday evening.
“Arike Ogunbowale has now advanced to Game 5 of the Chinese Championship Series. She is more than likely going to arrive back in the States on Monday evening.”
Awak Kuier overseas season is over, and she is back in Finland.
“Awak Kuier is done with her season and is back in Finland awaiting her immigration appointment with the consulate. We don’t have a confirmed arrival date yet, but she is done playing and is working through the rest of the immigration process to return for this season. Those are the five.”
Alanna Smith, the reigning Co-Defensive Player of the Year, was visibly absent from practice due to immigration issues.
“Obviously, people probably saw and were aware that Alanna was not here today. She’s taking care of her immigration stuff and will be back in practice on Saturday.”
Curt Miller Gives A Little Insight Into Behind the Scenes With The Immigration Process
During his interview with the media on Thursday, Miller offered a little insight into the immigration process and asked for grace as they begin the season slowly. Since four of their top eight players are currently not in training camp.
“My assistant GMs are tremendous. Obviously, working with agents and players through this process, and having all teams around the league have incredible immigration lawyers who also work with the league office and the NBA offices to help all the international players coming back. There are a lot of requirements now through immigration to get into the United States, so it is a very collaborative process, and a lot of work goes on behind the scenes around this league getting players here,” said Miller.
“It’s harder on the staff. Jose is really trying to implement a new system with his staff, but we’re missing a lot of core pieces. When you think about Alanna Smith, Awak, Jessica Shepard, and Arike not being here, four of our top eight players going into this season are not in the building today. So he’s doing a ton of coaching, and they’re doing a ton of things, but that’s why there needs to be a little patience. I hope there’s a little grace with this team and this coaching staff in May, because when we get to Game 1, we will not have been together very long, playing against teams that are not only together but have been together for years. As I’ve been constantly saying, our team will look a lot different in July than they do in May.”
Miller Shares His Ideal 10 Women Rotation For This Season
Miller concluded his interview on Thursday by sharing his ideal rotation with LandonBuford.com, after being asked how veteran Odyssey Sims can make Dallas her permanent home.
“Her veteran leadership is key, but also her on-court role. We need to get Paige off the ball at times, it’s hard to be picked up full court and still carry a scoring load. Odyssey allows us to do that. Paige is elite off the ball, but you need a point guard to facilitate that. Odyssey also helps defensively and gives us scoring off the bench.”
He continued, “When you look at a projected lineup of Paige, Arike, Azzi, Jess, and Alanna, and then a second unit of Odyssey, Aziaha, Maddy Siegrist, Awak, and Li, that’s a strong 10. And we haven’t even mentioned Alysha Clark. We’re excited about the depth and how the roster is shaping up.”
The Dallas Wings begin their 2026 season on the road against the Indiana Fever on May 9th, with their home opener against the Atlanta Dream on May 12th.