Li Yueru's Instant Wings Impact Gets Stamp of Approval from Paige Bueckers

"It's really fun to play with her," rising star Paige Bueckers told media postgame after Dallas' 86-83 win over Connecticut. "She's super smart, she has a high IQ. She understands the game."

Yueru made her mark off the bench, nearly recording a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds while playing a season-high 24 minutes.

"It's gotta be tough coming to a team almost halfway through the season," Bueckers expanded. "[and] still having a great understanding of how to play with us, so the chemistry will continue to keep building, but she plays extremely hard."

After averaging just 8.7 minutes in nine games with Seattle, Yueru's playing time has skyrocketed to 19.0 minutes per game in her first two contests with the Wings. Dallas head coach Chris Koclanes confirmed that he likes what he's seen so far.

"Super impressed with her ability to get up and down and to play through mistakes when it's not perfect," Koclanes shared Friday night. "And then for her to execute defensively, asking her to get up at the point of attack with players like Marina Mabrey and then being able to pound with Tina [Charles] -- just really has earned respect."

Yueru was part of a team defensive effort that held Mabrey, second on the Sun with 15.2 PPG, to just 8 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

The 25-year-old center had a quality night on the offensive end too, reaching double figures for the first time in 2025 thanks to a 6-for-6 day from the free throw line and a clutch three-pointer late in the first half.

"Offensively, she's just a connector, a fantastic screener," Koclanes articulated. "And the bonus is, she throws in a three. She's a fantastic shooter -- and that was a big three. Just proud of her and her effort and her attitude."

Yueru was a much-needed acquisition for the Wings on her size alone. With Maddy Siegrist currently injured, the 6-foot-7 center becomes just the second player on the active roster who is at least 6-foot-2, joining 6-foot-4 forward NaLyssa Smith.

It also helps that she's immediately impressed with her hustle and effort, as Bueckers noted postgame.

Yueru was less impressive in her Wings debut (2 points, 2 rebounds, 13 minutes), but her quick leap from one game to the next suggests that she is indeed quickly adjusting to her new squad.

The Wings like to play with tempo, ranking second in PACE/40 behind only the New York Liberty, putting an added emphasis on Yueru's ability to get up and down the court. But if she continues to prove that she can produce within Koclanes' system, she's a valuable and versatile piece that makes Dallas a bit more formidable in the frontcourt.

The Wings are back in action Sunday at 3:00 p.m., looking to extend their winning streak to three games against the Washington Mystics.