Dallas Wings shake up roster with late WNBA season move

The Wings are shaking up their roster with the release of a veteran.

Jun 1, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Karlie Samuelson (44) during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings are shaking up their roster with 15 games remaining in the 2025-26 season. It's looking unlikely that the team will qualify for the postseason as the Wings sit 6.5 games out of the fianl spot in the top-8.

With the team beginning to look towards the future, Dallas announced the release of veteran shooting guard Karlie Samuelson on Monday evening. The Wings recently acquired Samuelson in the trade that sent DiJonai Carrington to the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.

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Jun 1, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Karlie Samuelson (44) dribbles against Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The news doesn't come as a major surprise with Samuelson out for the season. Dallas will be able to free up her roster spot and sign someone who can play down the stretch.

The Dallas Wings Will Still Provide Support For Karlie Samuelson

Despite the parting of ways, the Wings will reportedly continue to support Samuelson during her rehab from a leg injury.

According to WNBA Insider Melissa Triebwasser, Dallas is finding a way to help cover Samuelson's rehab. It's a noteworthy gesture, especially towards a player who didn't play a game with the team this season. Plus, Samuelson was set to be an unrestricted free agent regardless.

Samuelson suffered a left foot injury back in June against the Connecticut Sun. The ailment required her to undergo surgery and she's got a lot of work to do to get back on the court.

Karlie Samuelson Was Part Of The Deal For DiJonai Carrington

Dallas made a deal with the Connecticut Sun to acquire Carrington back in February. At the time, the 27-year-old was coming off a campaign where she was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player. However, Carrington's numbers dipped with the Wings as she's averaging fewer points, rebounds, steals, and minutes per game.

To make matters worse, Carrington only shot 35.4% from the field in Dallas and averaged a career-high 2.5 turnovers per game.

Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) in action 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

It made sense for the Wings to move on and they pulled off the trade with Minnesota over the weekend. Dallas dealt Carrington for Samuelson, Diamond Miller, and a 2027 2nd-round pick.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, Miller has averaged 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 16.5 minutes per game in 78 appearances. With that being said, Miller is seeing the court for a career-low 9.7 minutes per game in 2025.

Samuelson Has Had A Well-Traveled Career

Following her college career at Stanford, Samuelson went undrafted in 2017. She landed with the Los Angeles Sparks but suffered a fractured foot.

Samuelson actually signed with the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2020 season. However, the team cut her and her sister, Katie Lou Samuelson, prior to the beginning of the campaign.

The 30-year-old went on to have two more stints with the Sparks, along with spending time with the Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, Washington Mystics, and Minnesota Lynx.

In 121 career appearances in the WNBA, Samuelson has averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 18.3 minutes per game.

Next Up For The Dallas Wings

Losers of eight of its last ten games, Dallas travels to take on the second-best team in the league, the New York Liberty, on Tuesday, August 5. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET and is being nationally televised on NBA TV.

The Wings took down the Liberty in their last matchup, 92-82.

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