Dallas Wings announce 2023 coaching staff; The WNBA season will open in May.

DALLAS – Dallas Wings Ready! Head coach Latricia Trammell has announced the remaining coaching staff, including two standout WNBA players and college stars, to join her in her quest for the DFW WNBA Championship this upcoming season.

First off, meet the new assistant coaches: April Schilling and Courtney Paris. They will join previously announced assistant coach Brandi Poole.

Schilling has stopped at all levels of basketball, most recently as head coach at Bella Vista College Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona and as an advanced scout for the Minnesota Lynx WNBA.

“It’s a blessing to team up with Coach Trammell. I hope to contribute to this group as we strive for excellence. I can’t wait to get started,” Schilling said of joining the Wings.

Schilling was a member of the Nigerian Women’s Olympic Basketball Team in 2021 and made her debut as a WNBA coach in 2020 when she joined the Indiana Fever as an assistant coach. Prior to her coaching career, she played at the collegiate level for the legendary Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee, helping the team reach three Sweet 16s and two Final Fours.

Schilling then moved to UCSB where she helped lead the program to its first Sweet 16 appearance in the program’s history.

As a professional WNBA player, Schilling spent time with three teams: the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Washington Mystics.

“I have long admired April’s relentless dedication to coaching and teaching basketball,” Trammell said. “She has experience playing all levels of basketball and is an elite instructor when it comes to the pros and cons of the game. She will provide a wealth of information to our team and I am thrilled to welcome her to Dallas.”

If Paris sounds familiar, it’s because she was a University of Oklahoma star and the team’s all-time scoring and rebounding leader. She became the first NCAA player, regardless of gender or division, to reach 2,500 career points and 2,000 career rebounds.

Paris was the first ever women’s college basketball to be Associated Press All-American, USBWA, and USBWA All-American four times.

Paris was selected seventh overall by the Sacramento Monarchs in the 2009 WNBA Draft. During her 10-year career, she played with the Tulsa Shock and the Dallas Wings before retiring with the Seattle Storm, where she won the championship in 2018.

When she retired from the league in 2020, she returned to her alma mater OU where she spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach.

“I’m incredibly lucky to have someone like Courtney join the team, as she brings a wealth of experience from the collegiate and professional levels that will greatly benefit our players,” Trammell said. “Her resume as a player speaks for itself and I can’t wait to see her grow as a coach and teacher here in Dallas. I know our team will view her as an invaluable resource.”

Paris shares this opinion and is happy to be part of her former team.

“I am very happy to be back with the Dallas Wings. This team is getting more and more exciting… I am really looking forward to this summer and helping this team reach their full potential,” she said.

On Tuesday, Trammell announced that Zach Bunczyk is returning as the Wings’ player development coach.

This will be Bunchik’s second season with the team.

“We’re excited to have Zach back in the Wings family,” Trammell said. “He offers our staff a fresh perspective and I know our players trust and respect his training and development regimes. I look forward to working with Zach to help our team take the next step towards becoming a championship team.”

Prior to joining Wings, Bunczyk ran a skills development business where he worked with basketball players of all levels, including NBA and WNBA stars. He was also on the men’s coaching staff at UT-Arlington, where the team had their best stretch in program history from 2008 to 2018.

Another Wings employee returns for a second season: strength and conditioning coach Preston Smith.

“I look forward to working with Preston and seeing him continue his great work with our players to ensure they can always compete at their best level on and off the court,” Trammell said.

The Dallas Wings will open their 2023 season against the Atlanta Dream on May 20 at College Park Center in Arlington. Subscriptions and tickets for individual games can be purchased here.