Jose Fernandez reveals what system, identity Dallas Wings will have

The Dallas Wings are entering the Jose Fernandez era, which should bring some change to the franchise.
South Florida Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies.
South Florida Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings have a lot of question marks going into the season with first-year head coach Jose Fernandez.

Fernandez, who turns 54 this month, spent the last 25 seasons with the South Florida Bulls and is coming to the WNBA for the first time. However, he feels like the system he is bringing to the Wings is a pro-style offense and defense.

”Make no mistake — if you’ve seen us play at USF and you’ve seen the system, it’s a pro-style system. It has a lot of Euro-influence in the amount of things that we do offensively with player movement and with ball movement,” Fernandez said h/t Mavs Moneyball contributor Matt Martinez.

“Our best players are going to get the basketball. We’re going to play with great spacing and we know the importance of putting the entire five on the floor where they’re comfortable.”

READ MORE: Paige Bueckers gets huge support from new Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez

South Florida Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies
South Florida Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Fernandez reveals Wings identity

Fernandez was extremely successful at South Florida, reaching the NCAA Tournament 11 times and nine times since 2015. He wants the Wings to be the No. 1 team in the league in terms of effort.

”The identity of this team has got to be collaborative between the staff and the players,” Fernandez said h/t Martinez.

“We’re going to play harder than anybody in this league. We’re going to rim-run harder, our wings are going to sprint harder, we’re going to attack the rim, we’re going to create second shot opportunities, we’re going to cut hard, we’re going to screen hard, we’re going to stop the point of attack early and we’re going to be tough to play against. That’s going to be the identity.”

There will be a learning curve as the Wings' job will be different than what he did with the Bulls, but the principles should remain the same. That should make Wings fans excited for the future.

READ MORE: Jose Fernandez hire could lead Dallas Wings to surprise WNBA Draft choice

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.