{"id":375252,"date":"2025-12-29T14:21:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/375252\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T14:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:21:07","slug":"dallas-wings-center-li-yueru-could-be-targeted-in-wnba-expansion-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/375252\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Wings center Li Yueru could be targeted in WNBA expansion draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Wings<\/a> are preparing to go into next season without Li Yueru on the roster.<\/p>\n

Li faces an uncertain future in the league with free agency and the impending expansion draft, where the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will build their initial rosters. Clutch Points contributor Jess Koffie believes Yueru will be chosen by the Tempo with the No. 16 overall pick in the expansion draft.<\/a><\/p>\n

“Li Yueru adds a distinct skill set to Toronto\u2019s frontcourt: international experience combined with polished interior scoring. She offers reliable rebounding, strong finishing near the rim, and the ability to operate as a complementary post alongside Stevens or Sabally. Her size alone impacts shot selection for opponents, while her footwork and soft touch allow Toronto to diversify offensive sets in the paint,” Koffie wrote.<\/p>\n

“Defensively, Li provides rim protection and positional awareness, allowing the Tempo to implement switches or double teams without compromising the interior. Her presence adds depth and flexibility, letting Toronto rotate bigs to manage fatigue or target specific matchups. Li\u2019s selection highlights Toronto\u2019s focus on blending physicality, technique, and international experience.”<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez details trip to see Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Li<\/p>\n

Li Yueru in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty. \/ Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Li, 26, played in 22 games for the Wings in the 2025 campaign, averaging 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, marking the best stretch of her WNBA career.<\/p>\n

Li is one of the more intriguing centers in the league as a 6-7 big that has one of the largest wingspans in the league. She proved in her stint with the Wings that she can improve and her trajectory could continue if she’s placed in the right spot to develop.<\/p>\n

An expansion team could be the perfect environment for Li to hone her craft and realize her full potential as a player in the league.<\/p>\n

The WNBA season is scheduled to begin in May 2026.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: How Wings star Paige Bueckers had one of the most iconic moments in women’s sports<\/a><\/p>\n

Stick with\u00a0WingsGameday\u00a0for more\u00a0FREE coverage of the Dallas Wings<\/a>\u00a0throughout the offseason.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Wings are preparing to go into next season without Li Yueru on the roster. Li faces…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375253,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,82,630],"class_list":["post-375252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}