Dallas Wings Take Control of $81M Practice Facility Amid Delays and Expectations

The Dallas City Council voted 13–2 in favor of an amended deal that will cap funding for the Wings’ practice facility at $57 million. The deal also hands the reins of the facility’s construction to the WNBA franchise. The Wings are expected to fund the remaining $27 million and any additional expenses. The project, first announced in 2024 with a $54 million budget and a timeline to be completed before the 2026 season, has been delayed by a year and increased in budget by about 50%.

The $57 million contribution from the city will include $54 million in economic development grants and $3.2 million in developer fees. A previous proposal included $653,000 related to delaying reimbursements to the Wings so that they would not sue the city—but the finalized deal did not reference any delayed reimbursement.

The new practice facility was part of the Wings’ plan to move the team from Arlington to Dallas by 2026. Aside from a new facility, the Wings signed a 15-year, $19 million lease to play home games at the renovated Dallas Memorial Auditorium, where about 8,400 fans could fit, compared to about 7,000 at their current home of College Park Center at the University of Texas–Arlington. Under the revised deal, the city will continue to manage the renovation of Dallas Memorial Auditorium. However, the Wings will only be able to move in by the 2028 season, and will play the 2027 season at the American Airlines Center, the home of the NBA’s Mavericks, with a capacity of 20,000.

Wings owner Greg Bibb stated his commitment to building the city of Dallas. "Despite the delays and the ups and the downs, we remain as committed as ever to our long-term partnership with the City of Dallas," Bibb said. Bibb also said he has no plans to “shortcut” the construction of the facility or “underdeliver” for the athletes. The latest WNBA CBA states that teams’ facilities will be required to adhere to standards that provide enhanced training and resources.

The Wings are one of a handful of WNBA’s independent franchises—meaning they are not owned by their counterparts in the NBA. Other independent franchises include the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, and Connecticut Sun. The league has appeared to favor franchises with NBA ties, as each of its expansion franchises from 2024 until 2030 has some level of ownership stake in an NBA team. “I don’t think we [necessarily] have a bias,” Engelbert said, regarding the WNBA’s prioritization of NBA ownership groups in June.

Dallas selected Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, but finished in a tie with the Sky for the league’s worst record (10–34). They will have the No. 1 pick for the second consecutive year in the 2026 WNBA draft on April 13.