Back in October, the Dallas Wings made a surprising announcement. After just two seasons, they were mutually parting ways with former two-time WNBA Coach of the Year Brian Agler. Now, after an extensive search, they have finally found his replacement.
On Wednesday, the team announced that Vickie Johnson has been hired as their new coach. Johnson will be the only Black woman to be a head coach in the league.
"I am excited to be able to work with a promising group of young and talented players," Johnson said in a press release. "My goal is to build a strong foundation and a championship team. I know that it will take time, hard work and dedication, and I am up for the challenge."
A two-time All-Star during her playing days, Johnson joined the coaching ranks in 2011 with the then-San Antonio Silver Stars. Save for a lone season in charge of the Stars in 2017, she's spent the rest of her time on the bench as an assistant, most recently with the Las Vegas Aces.
Johnson takes over a young Wings team that is in the middle of a rebuild, but has some exciting prospects to build around. Arike Ogunbowale won the scoring title in the bubble in just her second season in the league, while last year's No. 2 overall pick Satou Sabally made the All-Rookie team. Meanwhile, other youngsters such as Allisha Gray and Tyasha Harris have shown promise as well.
They'll have a chance to add even more talent to the roster in the 2021 WNBA Draft in April. Last week, the Wings got the No. 2 overall pick in the lottery for the second straight year. In addition, they'll also have the Nos. 5 and 7 overall picks via previous trades.
