The Dallas Wings announced on Monday that they have parted ways with head coach Vickie Johnson after two seasons. Johnson's contract contained a team option for the 2023 season which the Wings decided not to pick up.
"While our organization has taken steps forward this season, at this time I believe a change provides our team with the best opportunity to achieve our long-term goals of advancing in the playoffs and ultimately competing for a WNBA Championship," Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb said in a press release. "I would like to thank Vickie for her work on behalf of the organization and wish her the best in her future endeavors."
Johnson was hired prior to the 2021 season and went 32-36 in her time in charge of the club. She led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, their first .500 or better season since relocating to Dallas in 2016 and their first playoff win since 2009. The Wings were eliminated in the first round on each occasion, however, and ultimately those accomplishments were not enough for Johnson to keep the job.
Johnson's dismissal is a bit surprising given the Wings' strong close to 2022, in which they won seven of their final 10 regular season games, before pushing the eventual Finalists Connecticut Sun to a full three games in the first round. In general, the young team seemed to be making some progress.
At the same time, Johnson had not distinguished herself as an elite coach, and Bibb has never been shy about making bold decisions. You can certainly understand the impulse to start fresh with a new coach who may be able to take this young, talented roster to another level.
In order to make the most of that decision, though, the organization must not only make the correct hire but develop a long-term plan. There's been a haphazard feel to the Wings over the past five years due to a parade of coaching changes, trades and lottery picks. That needs to change, especially ahead of an important offseason in which Isabelle Harrison, Marina Mabrey (restricted) and Teaira McCowan (restricted) will all hit free agency.
