The Wings have found their next sideline leader, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of South Florida (USF) head coach Jose Fernandez to the open position in Dallas.
Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA team, with the 53-year-old exiting USF having led the Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances along the way.
Calling his impact "profound," USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins acknowledged that Fernandez is leaving for a WNBA position in a Thursday statement.
"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose," said Higgins. "We are incredibly proud of him."
Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become the fifth Dallas head coach in seven seasons, with the Wings trying to build a title-contending roster around 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
Fernandez will also be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, joining Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks manager Lynne Roberts (Utah).
Hoping to improve on a 13th-place 2025 finish — and make the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2023 — Dallas could claim a second straight No. 1 draftee next year, with the Wings entering 2026 with the highest odds to snag the top pick in the league's draft lottery.
The No. 8 Seattle Storm clinched the final spot in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs by the skin of their teeth on Tuesday, taking down the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries by a narrow 74-73 margin to avoid leaving their postseason fate in the hands of the No. 9 LA Sparks.
The Storm outscored Golden State 21-12 in the fourth quarter to overcome a second-half Valkyries lead and seal the victory, with Seattle guard Erica Wheeler's team-high 17 points leading the charge off the bench.
"To be able to seize the moment, take care of business on home court against a team who is trending really positively, shows a lot of resiliency," said Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn after the playoffs-clinching win.
The Storm's triumph was ultimately the Sparks' downfall, as LA fell just short of the postseason finish line despite claiming an 88-83 upset win over the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night.
"The league is as good as it's ever been," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said postgame. "There's not a year in the history [of the WNBA] where 21 wins doesn't get you into the playoffs."
LA's elimination not only brightens Seattle's 2025 hopes, but it also bolsters their future, with the Storm owning the draft lottery-bound Sparks' 2026 first-round pick thanks to a blockbuster offseason trade.
With all eight 2025 playoff teams locked in, there's still plenty to play for as squads battle for the remaining postseason seeding in Thursday's four-game regular-season finale.
The No. 8 Seattle Storm are only one win away from making the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, shooting to oust the No. 9 LA Sparks from the postseason race by claiming a victory over the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night.
"Our team has changed from the beginning of the season until now," Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said earlier this week. "Part of that is finding some consistency with one another: minutes, reps, all of those things."
Should the Storm lose to the already-clinched Valkyries in their final 2025 regular-season game, Seattle will still have a shot at the playoffs: The Sparks must still win both of their remaining two games to secure a playoff berth and bounce Seattle from the postseason — starting with their own Tuesday night matchup against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury.
"[We're] not talking about things we can't control," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said over the weekend. "Whether Indiana wins or loses or Seattle, we can't control that. We just have to focus on what we're doing and see how it all shakes out."
How to watch the Storm and Sparks on Tuesday
Both No. 8 Seattle and No. 9 LA will take the court at 10 PM ET on Tuesday, with the Storm battling No. 6 Golden State on WNBA League Pass while the Sparks face No. 4 Phoenix on NBA TV.
The 2025 WNBA Playoffs are halfway set, with the No. 3 Atlanta Dream and No. 4 Phoenix Mercury joining the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and No. 2 Las Vegas Aces in clinching postseason berths over the weekend.
The Lynx will officially enter the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed, claiming home-court advantage after back-to-back weekend wins.
"We have a scenario now that if we win our home games, we win a WNBA championship," Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve said following Saturday's 94-70 drubbing of the No. 11 Connecticut Sun. "It doesn't mean that it's easy. But anything that you can get to be an advantage in your favor, we needed to be able to secure that."
With just 10 days left in the regular season, five teams remain in the running for the last four tickets to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs: the No. 5 New York Liberty, No. 6 Golden State Valkyries, No. 7 Indiana Fever, No. 8 Seattle Storm, and No. 9 Los Angeles Sparks.
After Monday's key 91-85 win over the Storm, the Sparks now sit one and a half games below the cutoff line on the WNBA table — though they'll have to get past top contenders Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Phoenix to secure a trip to the posteason.
"I was watching the film [against Atlanta] today and we're a totally different team in terms of how we play and who's healthy now," said LA head coach Lynne Roberts following Monday's victory.
How to watch the LA Sparks, Minnesota Lynx this week
The No. 9 Sparks will try to snap the No. 3 Dream's two-game winning streak on Wednesday, tipping off in Atlanta at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.
Then on Thursday, while the No. 1 Lynx will coast into a top-table clash against the No. 2 Aces, airing at 10 PM ET on Prime.
The LA Sparks are hitting their stride, riding an 8-2 record into a Tuesday night home matchup against the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty.
Despite falling to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries over the weekend, LA's recent run has lifted the Sparks to No. 9 in the WNBA standings, with four of their last five wins coming against teams above the playoff line — including a 101-99 victory over No. 2 New York on July 26th.
"That's just learning how to win," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said on Sunday. "The worst thing you can do is fear losing."
Bolstered by 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink's return from injury, a Tuesday win could launch the Sparks into postseason positioning — but they'll have to top a motivated Liberty side looking to avenge their Sunday home loss to the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx.
"I think the most important part is when it gets hard for us, tough for us, we don't really stay together, and I think we have to do a better job," New York guard Marine Johannes told reporters.
The Liberty will take the court without veteran star forward Breanna Stewart, who is targeting an end-of-August return from a bone bruise in her right knee.
How to watch the LA Sparks vs. New York Liberty on Tuesday
The No. 9 Sparks will tip off against the visiting No. 2 Liberty at 10 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage on NBA TV.
Law enforcement officers made two arrests after anonymous crowd members at five different WNBA games this week disrupted play by tossing green sex toys onto the court.
"It's ridiculous, it's dumb, it's stupid," LA Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said after one of the flying objects nearly hit visiting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during the teams' Tuesday matchup.
"It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things," she continued.
Each act appears to be the work of different individuals, with one teenage perpetrator reportedly calling it a "stupid prank that was trending on social media."
The first documented incident occurred during a July 29th game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream, with copycat incidents then cropping up in Chicago, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
In response, the WNBA released a statement last week, affirming that "The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league. Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans."
The league also promised immediate ejection and a one-year minimum ban for anyone who intentionally tosses anything onto a WNBA court, in addition to local arrests and prosecution.
Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.
While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.
Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.
"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."
Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.
Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:
- No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.