Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez faced backlash from fans for his failure to acknowledge forward Awak Kuier’s contributions. After the Wings lost 98-87 to the Indiana Fever on Friday, Fernandez was asked about Kuier’s effort and contribution over the past two games in Jessica Shepard’s absence.
Fernandez took a long pause before saying that Kuier has a chance to play well when Dallas visits Golden State on Monday.
“She’s got a good opportunity to go to Golden State and rebound and defend and protect the basket,” he told reporters.
Fernandez’s response caught many by surprise as Kuier has done a solid job anchoring Dallas’ defense. Kuier had eight points, four assists, six rebounds and three blocks against the Fever on Friday. In Wednesday’s win over Toronto, Kuier had 14 points, four rebounds and a block.
Given Kuier’s impressive stretch, Wings fans were surprised by Fernandez’s post-game comments about the 24-year-old and called him out.
“awak is literally like the most important piece to developing a young core around paige and azzi and this dude is gonna ruin it for us!!!!!!!” one fan said.
More reactions followed.
Awak Kuier tied her career-high for blocks and Wings’ franchise record for most blocks in a quarter
Awak Kuier matched her career-high for blocks in a game and tied the Wings’ record for most blocks in a quarter. Kuier got all of her three swats in the second frame. She also had five points and two rebounds in that stretch.
Fernandez probably wanted more from Kuier in the second half. In 11:37 minutes, Kuier had only a point and an assist. She missed two shot attempts. That stretch may have cost the Wings the game.
After leading 37-35 at the break, the Wings were outscored 63-50 in the second half. However, Kuier wasn’t the only player who struggled in that period. Nobody outside of Paige Bueckers, who had 12 points and three rebounds in the last two quarters, and Odyssey Sims, who had 11 points, made a significant contribution.
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