Kara Dill, UTA softball head coach, will join the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s coaching staff for its inaugural season. Launching in June, four teams will play 24 games in the professional women’s softball league. Athletes Unlimited is an organization dedicated to empowering women’s sports. The league also partnered with ESPN to stream at least 18 games. Amid the rising popularity of women’s sports, the new league will allow softball players to play professionally without traveling overseas. “I don’t think it’s a question that people think softball players deserve a chance to continue playing at the pro level,” Dill said. “They haven’t even reached the peak of their athleticism by the time they graduate.” Currently in her third season at the helm for UTA softball, Dill will serve as the associate head coach for team Blaze. She said she will be responsible for managing its matchups and rotations. Having prior coaching experience in a professional softball league, Dill said she has seen what the sport has to offer for athletes. She credits the relationships she’s made for the opportunity to coach in the league. The league plans on expanding into a city-based league in 2026, creating home bases for each team. In its inaugural season, teams Blaze, Bandits, Talons and Volts will travel to 10 cities to play games, including Seattle, Chicago and Austin, Texas. Accepting the position comes with a sacrifice for Dill. Traveling with the league means she’ll be away from UTA during the summer, which is prime recruiting time. However, Dill said she will continue recruiting with the help of her staff. “It wouldn’t be something that I would do if it was going to pull away from UTA or my job here or my athletes here,” Dill said. “They are my number one priority, so having an opportunity where both things can work together is really a dream come true.” Dill hopes the opportunity can help her as a coach while establishing a legacy and said she understands the weight of being a part of something that hasn’t been done before. “Understanding, ‘How can I contribute to the sustainability of this league?,” she said. “I think that will be something that will be really impactful for me and for the summer.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA men’s golf has wrapped up its regular season and now sets its sights on the 2025 Western Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Championship. The team will travel to Payson, Arizona, to compete from Friday through Sunday at Chaparral Pines for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men’s golf tournament. The Mavericks enter the tournament as the No. 8 seed in a nine-team pool. Led by first-year head coach Logan Goulding, the team will have to defy their seeding and overcome No. 1 seed Grand Canyon University, which is looking to three-peat as WAC champions, to win the tournament. The Mavericks struggled in the spring season, failing to earn a top 10 team finish throughout. The team’s best performance was at the Bentwater Intercollegiate in February, resulting in a 12th place team finish. UTA concluded its regular season with a 17th place finish in the El Macero Classic hosted by the University of California, Davis. Last season, the Mavericks finished seventh in the WAC Tournament, despite finishing the first round in first place. The team was tied for second after the second round before faltering in the final round. The tournament is scheduled for three rounds and will tee off at 8:30 a.m. Friday with UTA kicking off at 10:10 a.m. alongside Tarleton State University and Southern Utah University. Live scoring will be available on Golfstat.com. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Dallas Wings ushered in their 2025 Draft Class with an introductory press conference Wednesday at Dallas City Hall. Headlined by No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, the rookie class introduced itself to Wings faithful and media. The organization’s newcomers were accompanied by its front office, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and teammates. The five rookies were gifted signature cowboy hats on behalf of the City of Dallas. The conference symbolized new beginnings for the franchise. Heading into their final season at College Park Center, the Wings are under new leadership and now, a new face of the team. “The opening of the presents seems fitting because, as mentioned in the press conference nine days ago, after we had the draft class secured that evening, that whole day felt like Christmas Day,” Curt Miller, Wings executive vice president and general manager said. “Well, if it was Christmas nine days ago, certainly, today feels like New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, with the optimism and all the momentum around the Dallas Wings.” Wings CEO Greg Bibb was the first to address the media and fans. He highlighted the team’s moves in the offseason, including hiring Miller, the franchise’s first-ever general manager, new head coach Chris Koclanes and a flurry of player acquisitions with the largest trade in WNBA history. However, the move from College Park Center to Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center reigns over all. “It was one year ago tomorrow, Dallas City Council unanimously approved a historic 15-year use and incentive agreement between the city and the Wings,” Bibb said. “This agreement marked the largest partnership investment by a municipality into a women’s professional sports organization in the history of North American sports.” The newest Wings players expressed their excitement to don their new hats with cowboy boots, embracing their soon-to-be home. On the court, Bueckers said she’s excited to get to work with her teammates, particularly with guard Arike Ogunbowale. “She’s electric, can score at all three levels,” Bueckers said about Ogunbowale. “So, looking to assist her a lot. Space the floor, get her open looks, play off each other, but just excited for everybody on the team. We got some dogs, so just excited to build that in camp.” Bueckers put pen to paper Tuesday when she signed her rookie contract with the team. The guard signed a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option. Heading into his first season as a head coach, Koclanes reiterated the character of all five draftees, echoing the sentiment, “you win with people first.” He vowed to earn his players’ trust and emboldened them to lean on what got them to the WNBA. “Each one of them, they lead with a gratitude and an appreciation and a humility. While at the same time competing with a confidence and a fearlessness, and that balance is extremely unique,” he said. “We’re so excited to add that.” The Wings now look forward to training camp, scheduled to begin Sunday before playing its first preseason game May 2. Eighteen players on the current roster will compete for 12 spots, the league’s maximum. Bueckers, a projected starter from day one, is ready to face the heat of being the star of the Wings in a media market like Dallas. When asked about her thoughts on being the hottest topic in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, she highlighted the stark difference from where she grew up and played collegiate ball. “I would say the weather is probably hotter than me,” she said. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu