‘Would Have Changed the Channel’: Jose Fernandez Grills Rusty Wings Before Dallas Ties All Time Win Record

· Yahoo Sports

The Dallas Wings returned from the World Cup break with a playoff spot secured and little room for complacency. The Wings quickly found themselves in a game that looked nothing like the team that had won four straight before the pause.

Head coach Jose Fernandez did not hide his frustration afterward. His blunt assessment focused less on the final score and more on the standard Dallas expected from itself during the opening 20 minutes. The Wings were tied with the Los Angeles Sparks at halftime before turning the game around.

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Jose Fernandez wanted more from Dallas Wings

Fernandez admitted the two-week layoff showed immediately. Instead of trying to dress up the performance, he joked that he would have stopped watching had he been a fan at halftime.

Aug 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez speaks with an official during the first half against the Portland Fire at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

“The first half, it was tough. You can tell we hadn’t played in two weeks, and the officials hadn’t officiated for a while either. So it was a pretty good balance. So I think everybody. Everybody was a little rusty from not doing stuff. But yeah, I would have turned the TV off at halftime. I would have changed the channel,” Fernandez said.

The joke captured the problem. Dallas struggled to maintain spacing, moved the ball poorly and settled for shots Fernandez did not like. The Wings also entered halftime tied 44-44, leaving the game completely open despite their uneven start. 

Then Dallas changed the game without needing a new game plan. The Wings outscored Los Angeles 53-33 after halftime and pulled away during a decisive stretch in the third quarter. A 12-0 run carried into the fourth and gave Dallas control. 

That response mattered more to Fernandez than the ugly opening. His next assessment focused on the team’s ability to correct problems rather than allowing them to linger.

Dallas Wings turned the second half into a statement

The improved execution spread across the lineup. Six Dallas players reached double figures, while the Wings finished with 31 assists and created enough separation to take their starters off the floor late. 

Jessica Shepard supplied another major performance with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. It was her fifth triple-double of the season, while Paige Bueckers scored 19 points in her first game back after helping the United States win the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Aug 30, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist (20) and guard Paige Bueckers (5) high five at the end of the third quarter against the Connecticut Sun at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Dallas finished with a 97-77 victory and improved to 25-16. The win was the Wings’ fifth in a row and matched the franchise’s single-season win record, originally set by the 2003 Detroit Shock.

Fernandez summed up the adjustment after the game, “The ball was getting thrown around everywhere. There was no floor balance. There were bad shots, but a sign of a good team is how you respond in the next 20 minutes. They came out of the locker room and did some very, very good things.”

Jun 22, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after shooting a three-pointer against the Seattle Storm dduring the fourth quarter at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

That response leaves Dallas with three regular-season games remaining. The first half gave Fernandez plenty to criticize, but the second half gave him something more useful – proof that his team could correct itself before one bad stretch became a bad night.

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