The Dallas Wings are stuck in a spiral. With every passing game, the climb out of their slump only seems steeper. A dismal home record and mounting pressure have left the locker room searching for answers, and stability. While fans and analysts dissect what’s going wrong, one international star is taking a different approach. No bold declarations, no hasty moves, just quiet calculation, as the Wings scramble to stop the bleeding.
With a 1-11 record, their season took a further hit when they lost two of their post players midseason. Teira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsoder left for national duties at the EuroBasket. Both are expected to miss several weeks while competing for Turkey and Germany, respectively. To add some depth to the post, the Wings acquired Chinese national team standout Li Yueru from the Seattle Storm in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick (with swap rights involving Connecticut) and a 2027 third-round pick. Yueru will add some much-needed squad depth and add some new energy to this faltering side. The new addition has expressed her intentions for the coming season with the Wings.
Yueru said after her first practice with the Wings, “I’m feel, really feeling that what’s a, what is W. And uh, you know I’m not like the rush like the… to rush in first season or some sometime. I feel I’m more enjoying now, and I love staying on the core and I love the you know game feeling the fans give us the feeling and you know uh everything whatever is hard or easy but everything is for me it’s perfect so I love here and I enjoy it every time.”
Dallas lost much of its physical presence in the paint with the absence of Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder, who stand at 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-4, respectively. To fill that void, they needed someone with a similar frame, and Yueru, also standing at 6-foot-7, offers a like-for-like replacement for McCowan. With the Wings’ playoff hopes fading, this moment presents an opportunity that Yueru has been waiting for since entering the league.
What Yueru has consistently sought is playing time. This season with the Storm, she averaged just 8.4 minutes per game and did not start any contests, a decrease from the 14.4 minutes per game she saw with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2024. In limited time with Seattle, she averaged 2.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.
Now in Dallas, she is poised to get the minutes she has long desired. With the team likely shifting toward a more developmental focus under head coach Chris Koclanes, younger players like Yueru are expected to see increased roles. After three seasons in the WNBA, she has become more comfortable with both the league and life in a new country. The initial challenges of adapting to a different culture appear to be behind her, and she is ready to focus on what she does best: playing basketball.
The hope from the Wings management is that she will fit into their squad as quickly as possible. Yueru previously played under current Wings general manager Curt Miller and assistants Camille Smith and Nola Henry during her time with the Los Angeles Sparks. That familiarity could help ease her transition into Dallas. They are yet to win a game at home this season, as their only win came against the Connecticut Sun in Connecticut. Their next clash against the Golden State Valkyries will be their sixth game at home. Koclanes and Co. will want to give their fans something to cheer about as they try and rebuild with Paige Bueckers at the center of it all.
Li Yueru Is Not Your Traditional Big
Yueru has yet to fully establish herself in the WNBA. She was selected in the third round of the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream but did not make her league debut until 2022 with the Chicago Sky. In her first season, she appeared in 16 games, averaging just 5.1 minutes per contest without making a single start. After sitting out the following year with an injury, she joined the Los Angeles Sparks, where she began to receive more opportunities. That changed again when she moved to the Seattle Storm, where a crowded frontcourt featuring Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga limited her playing time.
Now in Dallas, Yueru is in a position to contribute more meaningfully. In nine games with Seattle this season, she has shown offensive efficiency, shooting 50 percent from three-point range with two makes on four attempts and 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. Over her 63-game WNBA career, she has maintained a free-throw percentage of 91.6 and has recently started to extend her shooting range.
BELGRADE, SERBIA – FEBRUARY 10: Yueru Li of China warms up during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament match between China v Nigeria on February 10, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images)
Last season with the Sparks, she attempted 15 three-pointers and continued that trend this year with the Storm. Given that the Wings shoot just 32.1 percent from beyond the arc, a figure on the lower end of the league, Yueru’s developing perimeter touch could become a valuable asset in their offensive strategy.
Yueru is a more dynamic Center and Wings coach, Koclanes recognizes that. “She’s a dynamic post player—great size, inside-out skillset,” Koclanes said after Sunday’s practice. “She’s smart. She’s going to pick up our actions quickly, and we’re looking forward to adding her to the mix.”
Yueru appears ready to embrace the challenge in Dallas and is determined to cement her place as the team continues its rebuild. She has faced difficulties adapting to the evolving demands of modern basketball, where bigs are expected to be elite rather than just solid. However, she has never truly had the chance to showcase her complete skill set until now. With more opportunities ahead, Dallas will be hopeful that Yueru can stabilize the post rotation and bring added versatility on both ends of the floor as they move forward.
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