WATCH: The Dallas Wings partner with the Ivy Awino Agency

It has already paid dividends for the Wings on the floor as well.

Awino was a key piece in helping some of the Dallas Wings players develop chemistry in the offseason. When Wings scoring leader Arike Ogunbowale was looking for a place to practice in Dallas, she worked with Awino to find a location. Paul Quinn College, the only historically Black college in the DFW area, was chosen. Ogunbowale held several open runs at the college. At the final run April 24, as witnessed by this reporter, there were several Dallas players participating.

Having those practices gave the players an opportunity to get a feel for each other, especially the newcomers to the Wings. They were also able to make connections on campus. Kalani Brown, Veronica Burton, Crystal Dangerfield, Diamond DeShields, Natasha Howard and Ashley Joens all participated.

“I think that when there are organic pipelines between franchises and educational systems, there’s so many ways that it’s beneficial because students have to have access,” Awino told The Next. “They have like legit direct access.”

Camillle Little is Paul Quinn’s women’s basketball head coach. Little played in the WNBA from 2017-19 and won a championship with the Seattle Storm in 2010.

She said that it is important for the young girls to see themselves, and the connection with Awino and Paul Quinn president Michael Sorrell is the start of making that happen.

“In my school at [North] Carolina, I didn’t get to play with pros every day, but they get to do that at this school because of a connection. It’s about who you know and about giving back and that’s what it’s all about,” Little said.

Amber Cox, the chief operating officer of the Wings, said: “Ivy [Awino] has been an integral part of the Dallas Wings family since its inception. We are elated to welcome her back to our organization in this formal capacity. Ivy possesses an unparalleled instinct for identifying people and brands that should align for the benefit of all parties involved, ultimately making a positive impact on our community.”

The early returns on the court suggest that the power of this partnership has had a positive impact on the team, too.