Dallas Wings Need Li Yueru to Continue to Master Overlooked Trait

Yahoo

26-07-2025

Dallas Wings Need Li Yueru to Continue to Master Overlooked Trait originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
While drafting Paige Bueckers was by far the most high-profile move that the Dallas Wings made over the offseason, it was far from the only one.
They brought in head coach Chris Koclanes from USC, traded for DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris, and, midway through the season, pulled off a deal with the Seattle Storm, sending two draft picks in exchange for center Li Yueru.
Towering at 6-foot-7, Yueru is one of the better rim protectors and rebounders in the league, averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 rebounds through 10 games with Dallas.
Critically, she is also shooting a stellar 38.1 percent from 3-point range, and the Wings need her to keep flashing two-way potential.
"Li just battles," praised Koclanes after the four-point loss to the Aces. "Again, tough matchup defensively. But she was a big spark when she went back in the game there as part of that run, hitting a bunch of big 3s and just being a presence there, rebounding for us some."
Yueru finished with ten points, eight rebounds, and two blocks against Las Vegas, and was tasked with guarding three-time MVP A'ja Wilson for much of the contest. Even as a solid defender, Yueru had no answer for Wilson, who finished with 37 points.
To be fair, no one else on the roster had much of an answer, either.
The Wings have dropped their last four games and will look to pick up a much-needed win on Tuesday against the Seattle Storm, although they will be heavy underdogs in that contest.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.