Arlington, TX (Feb. 6, 2024) – The Dallas Wings have signed Stephanie Soares, the team announced today.
“We were thrilled to acquire Stephanie through a draft night trade prior to last season and we are excited to see her in a Wings uniform following more than a year of hard work, rehab and training,” Wings President & CEO Greg Bibb stated. “Stephanie brings a rare blend of size and athleticism to our front court and will be a great addition to our roster.”
Soares, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, was acquired on Draft Night by the Wings via trade with the Washington Mystics in exchange for a 2024 Second Round Selection and Atlanta’s 2025 First Round Selection (acquired via trade). She missed all of last season recovering from ACL surgery due to an injury sustained in college.
Soares is currently competing with Brazil’s national team as it hopes to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. The Olympic Qualifying Tournament is Feb. 8-11 in Belém, Brazil.
Soares spent one year at Iowa State in 2022-23 where she played in 13 games prior to being sidelined with a knee injury. During her stint with the Cyclones, Soares averaged 14.4 points and 9.9 rebounds while shooting 54.4% from the field and recording a double-double in eight of 13 contests. On January 4, Soares became the sixth player in Iowa State history to record a 20-rebound game vs. West Virginia. She represented Brazil at the 2022 FIBA South American Women’s Championship where she averaged 10.2 points and 6.6 rebounds and helped lead Brazil to a Gold Medal.
The 6’6 Sao Paulo, Brazil native earned many accolades in the NAIA at Master’s University before transferring to Iowa State her senior year. She was the 2020 and 2022 NAIA Division 1 Player of the Year and additionally was the WBCA NAIA Player of the Year in 2020 and 2022. Soares was also a three-time First-Team NAIA All-American, GSAC Player of the Year and GSAC Defensive Player of the Year (2019, 2020, 2022).