Wings signing EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year finalist

The Dallas Wings announced Friday that forward Awak Kuier plans to re-sign with the team, according to “In Case You Missed It” podcast host Khristina Williams. The 6-foot-5 South Sudanese-Finnish player is choosing to return to North America and the Wings after spending the past three seasons in Europe.

The Wings took Kuier second overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft, and she spent 2021-2023 with the team before she chose to go back to Europe and play in the EuroLeague. During her first Wings tenure, Kuier only averaged around 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, but she also became just the eighth player in the W’s history to dunk in a game.

Once Kuier returned to her home continent, her level of play increased drastically. She initially went to play for Reyer Venezia in the Italian League before moving on to play for Turkey’s Galatasaray in the KBSL in 2025. Kuier put up 11.5 points, 6.9 boards, and 2.0 blocks per game this past season and now leads the EuroLeague in blocks while sitting second in double-doubles.

Despite her years away from the WNBA, the 24-year-old has remained on Dallas’ radar. In 2025, Wings general manager Curt Miller commented on the franchise’s willingness to bring Kuier back as a part of their long-term rebuilding plans.

“We do like the youth that we’re adding and have available,” Miller said. “Even the fact that no one talks about Awak Kuier anymore — and such a young, dynamic piece that’s a part of our future also — is just exciting to think about.”

With the 2026 draft quickly approaching on Monday, the move to re-sign Kuier for this WNBA season could impact who the team chooses to take with its first overall pick.

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