Dallas Wings coach responds to fan backlash after fifth straight loss

Chris Koclanes makes something clear about people calling for his job,

Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings suffered their fifth straight loss on Sunday afternoon, falling 91-78 to the Washington Mystics. Paige Bueckers returned from a one-game absence due to a back injury and led the team in scoring with 17 points. That wasn't enough to overcome Kiki Iriafen's 23-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Wings head coach Chris Koclanes has been under more heat from fans recently, a fanbase that already wasn't happy with him. Following a loss to the New York Liberty earlier in the week, fans behind the bench could be seen and heard shouting "We want Nola!" in reference to assistant coach Nola Henry.

That didn't seem to bother Koclanes, who said after Sunday's loss "I'm going to be my harshest critic and I'm going to look in the mirror every single day and figure out how I can be better."

READ MORE: WNBA star Paige Bueckers sends Wings warning after fifth-straight loss

Jul 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes reacts against the Phoenix Mercury during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It was a tough loss for the Wings, who led by 11 at halftime, but they allowed 61 points in the second half. It's yet another blown double-digit lead, and this one led to another double-digit loss.

Following the game, Koclanes was asked what they need to do better, but his answer probably wasn't satisfactory for a lot of fans.

"Playing sharper... I think we can play harder. I think we have another level. I think we play hard in spurts, I think we still let things affect us... I think we can play harder more consistently."

Playing harder isn't always going to lead to wins when there needs to be adjustments. Allowing 61 points in a half isn't always an effort thing.

Aug 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings forward Myisha Hines-Allen (2) reacts against the Washington Mystics during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Myisha Hines-Allen Defends Head Coach Koclanes

Dallas Wings forward Myisha Hines-Allen confronted the fans behind the bench the other day, letting the fans know that they need support, not more criticism.

"I understand. Well, we want to do well, too," Hines-Allen stated to those fans. "We can hear all the outside noise! You know we didn't start the season off well, we're not playing how we should be playing. But we need the fans to support us! [And the chants] aren't supporting us, though. Because at the end of the day, Chris is still our head coach. We still need him."

She spoke more about it before Sunday's game.

Myisha Hines-Allen addressed her interaction with fans from Friday's game: "Honestly, it's been brewing for a while. I've seen it during timeouts before... My biggest thing is we're gonna show up here, we need all the support we can get. It's a home-court advantage, we need the…

— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) August 10, 2025

"Honestly, it's been brewing for a while. I've seen it during timeouts before... My biggest thing is we're gonna show up here, we need all the support we can get. It's a home-court advantage, we need the home-court advantage, that's not a home-court advantage in my opinion and my teammates as well... We just need all good energy... Seeing that, hearing that, for me even, I was just like, 'alright, it's getting crazy right now.'"

Koclanes is a first-year head coach, so he's figuring things out, too, but fans are restless after a few bad seasons and having a superstar like Paige Bueckers on the roster. paired with a 4-time All-Star in Arike Ogunbowale. They still have a lot to figure out, even if they're likely heading to the draft lottery again.

READ MORE: Paige Bueckers makes WNBA history in Wings-Mystics

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