On Sunday evening, the Dallas Wings were a part of a three-team trade that sent the WNBA into a frenzy. The main piece of the trade was 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones going from the Sun to the New York Liberty but the Wings were able to add two players who will surely be critical pieces to their hopeful championship run in the 2023 season.
The Full Trade was as follows
Dallas Wings receive: Natasha Howard, Crystal Dangerfield
New York Liberty receive: Jonquel Jones, Kayla Thornton
Connecticut Sun receive: #6 overall pick (NY), Ty Harris, Rebecca Allen
For the Wings, two familiar faces will be heading to the east next season in the forms of Kayla Thornton and Ty Harris. The pair were both key contributors for the Wings who will no longer be in Dallas in 2023.
Kayla Thornton was the ultimate feel-good story of the Wings team for the past six seasons. The Texas native went from being undrafted coming out of UTEP to being a very solid starter and key locker-room presence for this Dallas Wings team. Last season Thornton averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds while being a constant starter for the Wings.
With Ty Harris going over to Connecticut, the Wings are losing their second-unit facilitator who got some solid minutes off the bench in 2022. Harris averaged 5 points and 3 assists per contest while running with the 2’s
Although both Harris and Thornton played significant roles with the Wings last season Dallas isn’t losing any huge pieces that could hurt them in 2023. In fact, the Wings made an upgrade by making this deal.
The Dallas Wings made an instant upgrade at the Power Forward position by acquiring former New York Liberty forward Natasha Howard from the New York Liberty. Howard averaged 15.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in the 2022 season. Howard will slide right into the starting lineup for Dallas and will join Teaira McCowan in the front count assuming that the Wings are able to resign her in upcoming free agency.
Crystal Dangerfield will come in and likely get most of the run as the fascinator of the second unit in Latricia Trammell’s offensive system. Last season Dangerfield averaged 5.5 points and 2.6 assists with the Sun. Dangerfield is only 24 years old so the Wings are hoping that there will be some upside with the former Uconn Huskie.
For the Dallas Wings, it’s clear that by completing this trade, you made an upgrade that will move your ceiling higher in hopes of bringing a WNBA championship to DFW.
