Wings Fire Trammell as Head Coach

Coaches are dropping like flies in the WNBA.

The Dallas Wings have given the axe to coach Latricia Trammell after two seasons at the helm with the team, creating yet another WNBA head coaching vacancy before the official end of the 2024 season. Dallas President & CEO Greg Bibb announced the decision to part ways with Trammell in a statement released Friday.

“After an extensive review of our basketball operations department, which included interviews and conversations with stakeholders across our organization, I have made the decision to relieve Latricia Trammell of her head coaching duties with the Dallas Wings,” said Bibb. “On behalf of our entire organization I thank Latricia for her efforts and wish her well moving forward.”

Amber Cox left her position as Wings chief operating officer at the end of the regular season to become COO and general manager of the Indiana Fever. With Cox no longer in the picture, gone, Wings Bibb has his work cut out for him.

Bibb also announced that, in addition to finding a new head coach, Dallas would be hiring a general manager before next season.

“As part of our year-end review process, and in conjunction with our organizational long-term strategic planning,” Bibb said in a statement, “I have decided to expand and strengthen our basketball operations through the hiring of a general manager who will oversee the day-to-day operation of our basketball group. The search for this individual has already begun and I hope to have more news on this hire soon. The general manager will lead the search for the next head coach of the Dallas Wings.”

Trammell joined the Wings as head coach in 2023 after a stint as assistant coach with the Los Angeles Sparks. She went 18 games under .550, a disappointing 31-49 in two seasons with the Wings, leading the team to the playoffs in her first year.

However, this season was a difficult one for Dallas, which went 9-31 despite having a ‘Big Three’, such as guard Arike Ogunbowale and forwards Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard. Ogunbowale scored 22.2 points per game this season, the second highest in the league behind WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, while Sabally and Howard both averaged more than 17 points and six rebounds per game.

The Wings finished the regular season in 11th place out of 12 teams in the league and failed to make the playoffs.

Trammell’s ouster marks the latest head coaching vacancy in the WNBA, with the 2024 postseason still finishing up. The Sparks, who finished last in the league, fired Curt Miller in September, while the Chicago Sky parted ways with of Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon and the Atlanta Dream dismissed Tanisha Wright after their seasons ended.

The Wings play their home games at Texas-Arlington’s arena, College Park Center, but plans are in the works to move into downtown Dallas in the coming years.

“The investment in human capital in our basketball group aligns with other long-term strategic investments we have been making in our organization,” Bibb said. “Including our move to the city of Dallas, highlighted by a new practice facility and the renovated Dallas Memorial Coliseum. These investments will best position the Dallas Wings to continue to be a leader on and off the court as the team pursues WNBA championships while making a consistent positive impact in our community.”