Wings news: Jose Fernandez goes full NSFW in hilarious message to media appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jose Fernandez has never been one to sugarcoat things, and he was not about to start on the biggest night of his first WNBA season. Moments after the Dallas Wings clinched a playoff berth with a 96-78 win over the Portland Fire on Tuesday, the first-year head coach closed his media session with a thank-you that was equal parts gracious and gloriously blunt.
“Thank you guys, I appreciate you guys covering us all year,” Fernandez told reporters after the game. “Through the good, bad, and me being an asshole as well.”
Jose Fernandez: “Thank you guys for covering us all year. Through the good, bad… and me being an asshole as well.”
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— Drake (@DrakeKeeler) August 26, 2026
It was the perfect punchline for a season that has featured plenty of all three. Fernandez arrived in Dallas after 25 years at South Florida and immediately made headlines for his fiery, no-filter press conferences, including a viral May rant in which he accused his own locker room of selfishness just three games into the year. A handful of blunt, widely dissected media moments followed. The candor rubbed some fans the wrong way, but the results eventually caught up.
Dallas improved to 23-16 with the victory, setting a franchise record for regular-season wins with five games still on the schedule. It marked the Wings’ first trip to the postseason since 2023, a stunning turnaround for a team that won a combined 19 games over the previous two seasons.
Paige Bueckers powered the clincher with 22 points and 11 assists, notching her 23rd 20-point game of the year. Jessica Shepard added 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Arike Ogunbowale chipped in 17. Awak Kuier posted 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and all five Dallas starters scored in double figures.
The playoff push has come without No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, who is out for the season with a knee injury, making the accomplishment that much more impressive for Fernandez’s group. Veterans Ogunbowale and Shepard have helped steady the young core in her absence.
With the eighth and final playoff spot secured, the Wings can now play the closing stretch with seeding in mind before the postseason opens on September 27. And if Fernandez’s parting words to the media were any indication, he is not about to soften up now that the pressure is only going to rise.