Dallas Wings Bring Back Player After Losing Her In WNBA Expansion Draft
The Dallas Wings have found a way to bring back a player they thought they had lost for good.
On Sunday, Dallas signed Haley Jones to a developmental player contract, reuniting with the former Stanford star just months after she was selected by the Portland Fire in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft. Jones was one of the players Dallas lost during the league's expansion process, but after Portland waived her earlier this season, the Wings moved quickly to bring her back into the organization.
The move is notable not only because of Jones' history with Dallas, but also because she played some of the best basketball of her professional career with the Wings in 2025. Now, with the WNBA's new developmental player designation creating additional opportunities for teams and players alike, Jones gets another chance to prove she belongs in Dallas' long-term plans.
The Dallas Wings signed Haley Jones to a developmental contract. She was one of two players the team lost to the Portland Fire in the expansion draft, but was waived earlier this season.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) June 21, 2026
Haley Jones Returns To Familiar Territory
Jones' journey back to Dallas has been anything but straightforward.
The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft spent her first two seasons with the Atlanta Dream before landing with the Wings in 2025. Dallas initially signed her to a hardship contract during an injury-riddled stretch before eventually rewarding her with a rest-of-season deal.
When the Portland Fire selected Jones in the expansion draft this spring, it appeared her time in Dallas had come to an end. Instead, her stint with Portland lasted only five games before the Fire waived her on May 21.
A month later, Jones is back with the franchise where she enjoyed her most successful WNBA season.
Dallas Saw The Best Version Of Jones
While Jones has yet to fully establish herself as a consistent WNBA starter, her 2025 season with the Wings offered plenty of reasons for optimism.
She appeared in 24 games and made 16 starts, averaging career highs of 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.8 steals per game. Her versatility allowed Dallas to use her in multiple roles, whether as a secondary ball-handler, facilitator or wing defender.
Those performances represented a significant jump from her previous stops with Atlanta and Phoenix, showing flashes of the player who was once considered one of the top prospects in women's basketball.
Before entering the WNBA, Jones starred at Stanford, helping lead the Cardinal to the 2021 national championship while earning NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. She was also a former No. 1 recruit nationally and one of the most decorated players in recent college basketball history.
New WNBA Rule Creates Another Opportunity
Jones returns to Dallas under the WNBA's new developmental player designation, which was introduced ahead of the 2026 season.
The rule allows teams to carry up to two developmental players outside of the standard roster limit. Players signed under the designation can be activated for up to 12 regular-season games while receiving compensation through both a weekly stipend and game-day payments.
For the Wings, the move carries little downside. They already know what Jones can bring to the court and understand how she fits within their system.
At just 25 years old, Jones still has plenty of time to carve out a meaningful role in the WNBA. Dallas is betting that a familiar environment and another opportunity could help unlock even more of the potential that made her a lottery pick just three years ago.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 3:06 PM.