Former Northwestern Star Signs Training Camp Deal with Dallas Wings

Wildcats forward Grace Sullivan has her first pro opportunity!

Oct 8, 2025; Rosemont, Illinois, USA; Northwestern’s Grace Sullivan speaks during Big Ten Women’s Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Former Northwestern Wildcats women's basketball forward Grace Sullivan has her first pro opportunity!

After going unselected in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the 6-foot-4 Antioch native agreed to a training camp deal with the Dallas Wings.

Welcome to Dallas 🤠

Grace Sullivan has signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings. pic.twitter.com/FN2zgW7GKN

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 15, 2026

Across 28 games for the 8-21 Wildcats (all starts) as a senior, Sullivan more than doubled her prior career high in 2025-26. The All-Big Ten Teamer averaged 21.4 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and 77.6 percent field goal shooting, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks a night.

For a team that finished with a 10-34 record, the Wings are trending up in a big way this year. The club is led by All-WNBA First Team point guard Paige Bueckers, fresh off a terrific Rookie of the Year campaign. Bueckers' longtime University of Connecticut backcourt mate Azzi Fudd was selected with the top pick in last week's draft.

An Offseason of Change for the Dallas Wings

In free agency, the Wings signed a pair of defense-first former Minnesota Lynx forwards, Jessica Shepard and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith, to shore up their frontcourt. Smith inked a massive three-year, $3.7 million deal. The Wings re-signed four-time All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale to a two-season, $2.4 million contract, although questions linger about her fit alongside Bueckers and now Fudd.

The Wings re-signed center Awak Kuler to a one-season, $525,000 deal, as well. Dallas, clearly on a mission to bolster the interior, also brought in former USC star Rayah Marshall via trade.

With their back-to-back No. 1 picks Bueckers and Fudd on board via below-market, rookie-scale salaries, it behooved the Wings to expedite their rebuild. And to their credit, nabbing Smith was a massive coup. Shepard should help right away, too.

Second-year big Marshall, the No. 25 pick in 2025, didn't crack the Connecticut Sun's rotation much during her rookie season. But she was an absolute menace next to JuJu Watkins in college once upon a time, and could be a fun partner for Dallas' starry young backcourt as a reserve option.

Can Sullivan make the roster this year, especially given all the team's more established frontcourt talent? It may be an uphill battle, but perhaps she has a shot at a developmental roster spot. Thanks to the league's new CBA, WNBA clubs get two development slots in addition to their 12 standard roster pieces.

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