Awak Kuier Can Solve Dallas Wings' Center Problem

Awak Kuier may have given the Dallas Wings a real answer at center against the Atlanta Dream. At 24, the Finnish international has reopened a spot Dallas has been trying to solve since before the 2026 WNBA draft.

Kuier's Opening Against Atlanta

The Wings need an established center, and that hole has shown up against teams with a dominant interior presence. Dallas has stars like Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Arike Ogunbowale, but the roster has still been exposed inside when it faces stronger rebounding teams.

That is why Kuier's game against Atlanta drew attention. Her performance suggested she could give Dallas a center option it has lacked, rather than forcing the Wings to keep leaning on small looks and a high volume of 3-point attempts in matchups where size matters more.

Dallas' Draft Choice

The center issue did not appear overnight. Dallas' lack of depth at the position was already a topic of conversation before the 2026 WNBA draft, even as Curt Miller used the first overall pick on Azzi Fudd. The Wings then brought Kuier back after a two-year absence from the league.

That sequence left her role open to debate under newly appointed head coach Jose Fernandez. But the Atlanta game gave Dallas a direct look at what Kuier can bring when the team needs a body in the middle instead of another perimeter-heavy look.

What Kuier Changes

Kuier was the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, and her age and draft slot still make her a notable piece in Dallas' frontcourt discussion. If she holds up against teams that win on the glass and play through the paint, the Wings can stop treating center as a nightly workaround.

For now, Dallas has one clear sign to study: Kuier against Atlanta looked like more than a stopgap. It looked like a center option the Wings have spent years trying to find.