Storm center Li Yueru requests a trade from Seattle
By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Storm center Li Yueru’s camp has requested a trade from Seattle, according to Chinese Women’s Hoop Show, which had it first.
In last night’s win over the lowly Dallas Wings, Yueru drilled two three-pointers in the first quarter, netting six of Seattle’s first 14 points of the game. She did not see the floor for the rest of the game.
Yueru was acquired in the three-team trade this offseason that sent former franchise star Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces. In eight games this season, she’s averaging 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in nine minutes.
In the deal, Seattle received the second overall pick from the Los Angeles Sparks, which they used to draft French star Dominique Malonga.
Even with a loaded frontcourt featuring All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor, many expected Yueru to have a role off the bench. Ogwumike sits at 17th in the WNBA in minutes played so far (31.5). But it seems that the Storm had other plans.
Entering the season with three crucial injuries to Katie Lou Samuelson and Jordan Horston, the Storm faced a shortage of small forwards on the roster. Gabby Williams has been deployed as the team’s starting shooting guard to start the season. When teams go small, Seattle has faced issues with answering the call by doing the same.
In any return for Yueru, the Storm will likely aim for depth at the three spot. How exactly they go about that isn’t exactly an easy answer. With Yueru’s minimum salary at $66,079, the team will find a contract on the roster to pair with her to complete the deal.
This is a developing story.
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