The Dallas Wings have hired Los Angeles Sparks assistant Latricia Trammell as their next head coach, the team announced on Monday. She is the Wings' fifth coach in six years. The Wings parted ways with Vickie Johnson in September after two seasons, a 32–36 record and missing the playoffs in back-to-back season.
"We are pleased to welcome Latricia Trammell as the head coach of the Dallas Wings," Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said in a press release. "Coach Trammell has proven to be a winner at every level of basketball she has coached, including the WNBA. I have long admired the approach Latricia takes with coaching, which includes exhaustive preparation, an emphasis on communication and relationships, and a continual desire to learn and grow her craft. I'm excited to watch Latricia lead our talented roster as we continue our on-court growth in pursuit of a WNBA Championship."
Per Sports Illustrated, Trammell has signed a three-year deal. Her previous coaching experience has been at the college and professional levels. She spent three years as a head coach with Oklahoma City University, guiding the program to a 85-10 record and two NAIA Division I national championships in 2014 and 2015. Before that, she was one of the winningest head coaches in program history at Western State -- a Division II school.
Trammell started her WNBA career in 2017 as an assistant with the San Antonio Stars, which turned into the Las Vegas Aces in 2018. She has spent the last four years as an assistant with the Sparks.
Last season, the Wings posted an 18-18 overall record, which was the first time the Wings finished with a .500 or better record since the franchise moved from Tulsa in 2016. They had the fourth best offensive rating (104.6) at the conclusion of the regular season and were ninth in defensive rating (104.3). That could be an area that will likely improve under Trammell, as she is known to have a defense-first mentality. She demonstrated this by helping Brittney Sykes be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2021. Sykes made the 2021 WNBA All-Defensive First Team and led the league in steals that year.
Trammell is taking over a young Wings team led by 25-year old Arike Ogunbowale, a two-time All-Star. Other young players who could contribute next season include Satou Sabally, Awak Kuier, Marina Mabrey, Allisha Gray and Veronica Burton.
