If you haven’t been living under a rock the past few months, you’ve probably already guessed that it’s the brand spankin’ new Dallas Wings, the latest franchise team of the WNBA. The arrival of the Wings marks the first time that a women’s pro basketball team has set up shop in North Texas, which is pretty dang cool. The Wings are also the third, count ‘em third, professional sports team to call Arlington home, which is even cooler.
So in honor of all of this coolness, we thought it appropriate to present you with these nine super cool facts about the Dallas Wings:
FACT ONE: (And the most important!) The 2016 Dallas Wings home opener is Saturday, May 21.
The Dallas Wings will tip off the team’s inaugural home opener on Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at College Park Center against the San Antonio Stars. That’s sports (and Arlington!) history in the making, people, so you don’t miss out!
Single tickets begin at $25 (with discounts for military and first responders)—but with so many exciting games to attend between now and the season closer in September, you might want a Dallas Wings Season Membership, which begins at about $340.
TWO: The Wings’ logo has a very close tie to the Dallas Mavericks logo.
Did you know that WNBA logos are designed to complement the logos of their NBA counterparts? In our case, those counterparts are of course the Wings’ brothers-in-another-arena, the Dallas Mavericks. The Wings logo features a Pegasus-styled horse mascot (a nod to the Mavs’ horse), presented in blue (also a Mavs color) and a neon green-yellow that looks stunning as the base color of the Wings’ new uniforms.
THREE: Bringing a group? The Wings have some cool stuff in store for you.
Not only do the Wings offer discounted prices for groups of ten or more, each “experience” comes with a very cool perk, like performing the national anthem, hitting the court for a post-game shot, or doing a “High Five Fan Tunnel”.
FOUR: One of those players is starting her 14th season in the WNBA.
That’s Texas native Plenette Pierson, who plays forward/center for the Wings. Collectively, the 2016 Wings have a combined 45 years of pro experience. Pretty impressive!
FIVE: The players’ names are as cool as the Wings are.
What do the names Christmas, Skylar, Glory, Karima, Plenette and Odyssey have in common? They’re all names on the 2016 Dallas Wings roster, which you can learn more about here.
SIX: The Wings have their very own dance team.
They’re called “Flight Deck”, and it’s a male-female crew of elite hip-hop dancers. The Wings’ website promises performances marked by “high energy and strong hip hop choreography with great projection, i.e., tumbling, tricks, and break dancing.” Sounds pretty exciting…
SEVEN: The Wings also have a Ball Kids program.
It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids who love basketball or enjoy taking on fun, interesting challenges. Ball Kid responsibilities include setting up the court, distributing items during timeouts and rebounding for players before the game and during halftime. Kids must be at least 14 to apply.
EIGHT: There are plenty of nearby things to do before and after a Wings game…
…especially if you’re looking to eat, drink, or listen to music. Check out the restaurant and bar directories at College Park Center and Downtown Arlington for some great ideas. Also, you should find out more about food and drink available during the Wings games, as well as parking details and other info that’s good to know before you head to a game, such as College Park Center’s purse and bag policy.
NINE: Traveling to Arlington to see the Wings? We’ve got great hotel packages.
Okay, this fact is more about us than the Wings, but it’s still pretty cool. You can make a Wings Weekend of it (or play hooky during the week) by booking a great deal for an Arlington hotel and checking out our other things to do while you’re in Arlington.