Miller, the former head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, shared how energizing earning the No. 1 pick in the draft was.
The Dallas Wings won the WNBA Draft Lottery — and their newly-hired general manager, Curt Miller, couldn’t be happier.
Miller, who was fired from his role as head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in September, addressed the media for the first time since his hiring, just a few minutes after the lottery balls indicated that the Wings had secured the No. 1 pick, and a chance at University of Connecticut standout Paige Bueckers.
“What an exciting day for the Dallas Wings,” said Miller, beaming in his virtual availability.
Miller disclosed was having a terrible day of travel on Sunday — his flight was cancelled and delayed, he got stuck in Los Angeles, and had to scramble to watch the lottery at the office of one of his long-time assistant coaches.
“We talked about if this is the only bad thing that happened today, it would be a great day,” Miller said.
And that it was. His brand-new franchise edged out his previous one for the highly-anticipated chance to select Bueckers. The Los Angeles Sparks earned the No. 2 pick, the Chicago Sky got No. 3, and the Washington Mystics got No. 4. The Sparks, who had the worst cumulative record these past two seasons, once again fall just short of the top pick.
Miller seemingly took a playful jab at his former team upon learning the Wings earned the top selection, posting a GIF that read “How do you like them apples?” on X/Twitter.
Let’s Go! pic.twitter.com/IJETDLKDQh
— Curt Miller (@CurtMillerWBB) November 17, 2024
How the No. 1 pick plays into the Dallas Wings’ head coach search
Miller is in the midst of searching for a new head coach for the franchise, and said that the fact Dallas won the lottery will only aid his search. The organization parted ways with Latricia Trammell last month after two seasons with the organization.
Now, Dallas instantly becomes a more attractive destination for top-end coaching talent.
“It’s such an energizing day already — what a number one pick does for your fanbase, it energizes your team,” Miller said. “For someone like myself who’s just started the head coaching search, what an opportunity to be out talking to head coaching candidates to take over the Dallas Wings coaching job, knowing that we have the upcoming No. 1 pick.”
The Wings are one of four WNBA teams currently seeking a new head coach — the Sparks, Mystics, and Connecticut Sun are also all still hunt. Several coaching vacancies across the league have already been filled; the Indiana Fever hired Stephanie White earlier this month, the Sky hired Tyler Marsh, and the Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko.
It’s been well-reported that WNBA coaching positions have drawn interest from the broader basketball community, including NBA and collegiate circles.
“I can’t begin to tell you the interest coming from, not only WNBA, but outside of WNBA, like you’ve never seen before,” Miller said. “This is only going to increase it.”
What the Wings are looking for with the top pick
In his first media availability, Miller didn’t share any specifics about which player the Wings are currently eyeing, but he did emphasize that team culture was front of mind.
“I still believe very much in the philosophy that championships are won in the locker room and with culture,” Miller said. “And so, adding a culture piece, someone that’s going to add to the locker room, is going to be such a big deal.”
He also noted that he wasn’t going to be coaching the Wings, and that the new draft selection will be decided upon in unison with the new hire.
“It’s no longer a team that I’m coaching,” said Miller, who’s been a head coach since 2001. “I have a new role to really support the head coach, listen to the head coach on the style and qualities that they are looking for in players.”
Bueckers is widely expected to go at No. 1. If she does, she’d be paired with Wings’ guard Arike Ogunbowale, who has been with the organization for six seasons and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. Ogunbowale was the league’s second-leading scorer in 2024, averaging 22.2 points per game.
Miller said at the time of his media availability, the only person he had texted back was Ogunbowale, who was thrilled the franchise won the Draft Lottery and turned to social media to express her excitement.
I just fell to my knees. THANK YOU LORD!
— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) November 17, 2024
Last season, the Wings finished with the second-worst record in the league at 9-31, just a season after making the playoffs with a 22-18 record. The team was riddled with injuries and underperformed compared to expectations.
Outside of the head coach search, the major offseason question is whether forward Satou Sabally will re-sign in Dallas; Sabally, who was one of the league’s best players in 2023, is one of this winter’s most highly-coveted free agents.
Miller was asked about how the selection might impact the chance Sabally would re-sign, but didn’t get into any specifics.
“Each discussion is important — not one more than another — but obviously, can’t wait to talk to the team and talk about what this does,” he said.
Regardless, Miller said the Wings will prioritize culture and character in solidifying the 2025 roster, which has yet to come together.
“You’re going to hear it over and over again — culture players, players that play unselfishly, players that think about it being bigger than themselves, and putting together a roster, not only with this No. 1 pick, but filling out the roster with unselfish, high character players that play a fun, up-tempo style,” Miller said.
