Jose Fernandez has spent just three games as the Wings head coach, yet he’s already witnessing qualities in his players that he wants to change.
Dallas lost 90–86 to the Lynx on Thursday night despite holding a solid lead throughout most of the contest. Minnesota ended the game on an 11–3 run to win. This Wings’ loss comes a few days after they were defeated by the Dream, 77–72, in the final minutes.
In his post-game press conference, Fernandez did not hold back in his assessment of the team. It sounds like he had a difficult conversation with his players in the locker room.
“I mean, it’s real talk and it’s accountability. That’s what I told them,” Fernandez said. “There’s selfishness in this locker room. There is. You gotta look in the mirror and be accountable on how you play. And don’t get upset if you think you should've played more or you didn't play enough or you didn't get the shots you think you should've gotten. Really good teams, they don't give a s--- about that. You know what they give a s--- about, they give a s--- about winning, ‘cause that’s what matters.”
Jose Fernandez said he told the team there’s selfishness in the locker room. Fernandez told them to not get upset about minutes played and lack of shots.
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) May 15, 2026
“Really good teams don’t give a shit about that. You know what they give a shit about? They give a shit about winning.” pic.twitter.com/zqSqDLTwFo
His comments seem like a response to the outside criticism Fernandez has received regarding his starting lineup. Fernandez has elected to not start No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd in any of the three first games—she did miss the second contest for precautionary injury reasons. He’s admitted that she will get her chance, but he hasn’t given a timeline as to when. Fudd only made one basket in her WNBA debut off the bench, but she scored eight points on Thursday night.
However, it’s unclear who Fernandez was directly talking about since he didn’t specify names. It’s interesting he would already call out his locker room in this way as he’s still adjusting to his roster.
Unsurprisingly, Paige Bueckers was the star of the show on Thursday night, putting up 27 points, three rebounds and eight assists. However, three of the Wings’ starters scored less than 10 points: Jessica Shepard with seven points, Arike Ogunbowale with six points and Alanna Smith with six points. Then there was Maddy Siegrist, who scored 17 points off the bench.
As for how much time these players are all getting on the court, Fernandez emphasized how it doesn’t matter how long they play, as long as they defend.
“Minutes here, minutes there,” Fernandez said. “Whatever minutes [Awak Kuier] gets, with her size, she can protect the basket. Correct? So, I don't know. Whatever minute she gets, or Maddy gets, or [Alanna Smith] gets, or Fudd gets, just defend. Make use of your minutes, make shots, play the right way.”
It’s worth wondering if Thursday night’s performances will lead Fernandez to make some changes in the starting lineup for Monday’s game vs. the Mystics. The Wings are currently 1–2 to start the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wings Coach Jose Fernandez Calls Out the ‘Selfishness in the Locker Room’ After Late Loss.
