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6-Foot-7 WNBA Player Requests Trade on Wednesday Amid Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 11:39 AM ET

Things haven't gone the way Li Yueru hoped at the start of the 2025 WNBA season.

After Yueru played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2024, the Seattle Storm acquired her in a trade and signed her to a new contract. That came after several international stops in her basketball career.

Yueru represented China at the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup in Australia, helping her team earn a silver medal. Now, she’s once again seeking a change of scenery.

Khristina Williams of iHeart Women's Sports reported the latest on her situation:

"Li Yueru's representatives have formally requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, sources tell @iHRWomensSports."

Breaking: Li Yueru's representatives have formally requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, sources tell @iHRWomensSports.
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) June 4, 2025

Yueru, a 26-year-old center from Changzhi, Shanxi, China, stands at 6-foot-7, making her one of the tallest players in the league. She was drafted 35th overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2019 WNBA draft and has played professional basketball since 2015.

So far this season, Yueru appeared in eight games, averaging just 9.1 minutes per contest. During that span, she averaged 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds. In her most recent appearance, an 83-77 win over the Dallas Wings, she scored six points in six minutes and added one rebound.

Seattle’s frontcourt rotation has mostly featured Ezi Magbegor, who is averaging 7.1 points and eight rebounds per game. Veteran forward Nneka Ogwumike is leading the Storm in rebounding with nine boards per game and scores 16.5 points per game.

The Storm are off to a 4-4 start, placing them fourth in the Western Conference. They’ll next take the court Saturday in Phoenix against the Mercury, who have opened the season 5-3.

There is no immediate indication on how Seattle will proceed with Yueru's request to be traded.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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