Former Dallas Wings Coach Opens Up About Joining Las Vegas Aces

The Wings made big changes to their staff heading into the 2026 season.

Sep 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks coach Nola Henry reacts in the second half against the Connecticut Sun at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings' new era took an interesting turn with a revamped coaching staff, which included the transition of former Wings assistant Nola Henry joining the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces this spring.

With new coach Jose Fernandez having already voiced his thoughts about the new regime, Henry revealed why the new opportunity was the right move despite a close-knit relationship with Wings guard Paige Bueckers this past season.

Paige Bueckers Gets Shoutout From Ex-Wings Coach

Sep 11, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) celebrates after the game against the Phoenix Mercury at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“Obviously, Paige and Arike [Ogunbowale], two really good players that I have a high level of respect for, not just as players but as people,” Henry said, via Dallas Hoops Journal. “Those are two people that I built relationships with, and so I expect more of the same. It takes time to build relationships with players, and it’s not something that you rush or try to — that I’ve ever tried to rush or force. It’s something that just happens naturally.”

Henry said she sees similar relationships being built in Sin City, too.

“And so I’m excited to coach A’ja Wilson," Henry said. "I’m excited to coach Jackie Young, but I’m also excited to build relationships with them as people and as human first."

Having said that, Henry looks forward to coaching against the Wings knowing everything about them

“Obviously, it’s a new system with Jose coming in, but the players’ tendencies aren’t changing, and I know them pretty well because I spent an entire season working with them,” Henry said. “So I’m excited to go to Dallas and try to beat up on them.”

However, Henry said she is grateful for her time in Dallas from a holistic standpoint.

“Obviously, there’s a mutual respect between the players that I coached on the Wings and myself, but I’m going to obviously do the best that I can to give the most detail-oriented scout of the Dallas Wings because I do have experience with them,” Henry said. “I think that that’s an area where I can, you know, give us a little bit of a competitive edge with knowing all of the players’ tendencies.”

The Wings will play the Aces four times this coming season, with three of them coming during the regular season. It'll open preseason play against each other on May 3.

We'll see how the games play out, but it seems the mutual respect is plentiful between both sides. Dallas is trying to get to the level Las Vegas is at already, which could make for an interesting rivalry moving forward.