Seattle Storm center Li Yueru has reportedly requested a trade, per Khristina Williams of iHeart Radio Women’s Sports. And, her versatility and size make her an impactful prospective trade target for multiple teams around the league.
Seattle Storm standout seeks trade — 2 WNBA teams could be ideal fits
Li Yueru, who the Storm acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Sparks, has reportedly requested a trade. The Wings and Aces both seem like prospective options.
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Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Yueru, whom the Storm acquired via trade in the offseason, has averaged 2.9 points in 9 minutes per game so far this season. She landed in Seattle in the three-team trade that sent longtime franchise cornerstone Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces and sent back the 2025 No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and Yueru, to the Storm.
Yueru is a WNBA veteran who has never found a long-term home; the Atlanta Dream drafted her with the 35th pick in 2019, and she has since had stints with the Chicago Sky, Sparks, and Storm.
Li Yueru has seen a downtick in minutes so far with the Storm
Last season, Yueru averaged 14.4 minutes per game across 38 games with the Sparks. This season, those numbers are slightly down on a Storm team loaded with frontcourt talent.
Frontcourt minutes have largely been occupied by Ezi Magbegor (7.1 points in 28 minutes per game), Yueru (2.9 points in 9 minutes per game), and rookie Dominique Malonga (4.3 points in 8.8 minutes per game).
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The Storm are 4-4 to begin the season and have been led by veterans Skylar Diggins-Smith (16.8 points, 6.4 assists per game), Nneka Ogwumike (16.5 points, 9 rebounds per game), and Gabby Williams (14.5 points, 3.6 assists per game).
Potential landing spots for Li Yueru include the Wings, Aces
If the Storm agree to trade Yueru — and there’s precedent for WNBA teams to withhold trading a player that makes a trade request — there’s a number of teams that could benefit from her size. The Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces both come to mind as prospective options.
The Wings have struggled immensely to begin the year and have a shortage of effective frontcourt options; Yueru would immediately become a rotation player and uplift the Wings’ offense with her versatility. After starting the season 1-7, a frontcourt change might be welcome in Dallas.
And, with Aces forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus missing most of the season with pregnancy, Yueru could provide some much-needed front-court relief in Las Vegas to A’ja Wilson. Yueru can stretch the floor and give the Aces another option at the center position.
So far this season, Kiah Stokes has started alongside Wilson, but she has averaged just 1.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game. Rookie Liz Kitley has provided 8.8 minutes off the bench at the center position. Yueru would give Las Vegas a more veteran option.
Wherever she lands, Yueru brings undeniable size at 6’7.
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