When Li Yueru was asked what skills she wanted to work on this season, her answer was simple: “Getting better than last season.” This was her first year with the Seattle Storm, a new chapter, a new team, and a fresh opportunity to prove herself. But just four months and eight games into the 2025 season, things took a turn. Instead of settling in, she found herself stuck with no real way forward, so she made a bold decision: she asked for a trade. With the Storm already in the midst of a drama, Yueru’s decision stretched the speculations. But the 6’7 center is resetting the image for the team.

Li Yueru came into the WNBA season riding high after a standout performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She had averaged 17.7 points and 11 rebounds per game, leading her team in the categories. Naturally, expectations for her WNBA performance were high. And rightly so. But she struggled to find her footing, her minutes dwindled, and her role on the team remained uncertain. And, eventually, she made the call to request a trade. And while that alone would’ve been newsworthy, it came with added noise.

For those who missed it, the drama began when Khristina Williams reported, “The league is reviewing a complaint from a former Seattle Storm player who alleges an assistant coach directed profanity at them.” Many suspected Jewell Loyd, who had previously filed complaints and had already been traded off-season. Then with Yueru’s trade request, there may have been fingers turning, and the Storm’s water looking muddier.

But the Chinese star is here to confirm Seattle is as good a team to be with as any, if not better.

“I don’t want to be a bad or weird person… I love this team. I’d love to stay here because I’m so happy every day,” she shared. “But when I only play 3-4 minutes in a game, that’s a bit sad for me. I hope I can feel happy and excited every day, and I hope I can get some more time.”

And she wasn’t wrong. Except for an improvement in her three-point shooting, nearly every other stat had dipped since joining Seattle. Last season with the Sparks, she averaged 5.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. This campaign? Just 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.1 minutes.

In a league where opportunity is everything, Yueru has been slipping further down the depth chart. The Storm frontcourt is already stacked—with All-Star Nneka Ogwumike, defensive anchor Ezi Magbegor, and promising rookie Dominique Malonga. And unfortunately for Yueru, all three seem to have a firmer grip on minutes than she does.

“I came to America only for one reason: to play basketball,” Yueru said. “This team is really perfect. This is the best team I’ve ever been on. We have the best post player in the world. We have four post players, and I don’t feel I have enough time.”

She’s only two seasons into her WNBA career and the journey ahead isn’t proving to be simple, especially since she’s not just looking for a team—she’s looking for the right team. One that checks all her boxes: playing time, a role she can grow into, and the respect she’s earned on the global stage. So, where will Li Yueru go from here?

We have a match for the Seattle Storm Centre at W.

For Li Yueru, finding a new team mid-season is no easy task. But if the Seattle Storm do agree to trade her, there’s already one team that looks like a natural fit. If you guessed it right, it’s the Las Vegas Aces and there’s a reason behind this assumption. It all comes down to forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus being set to miss most of the season due to pregnancy, leaving the Aces in need of some frontcourt help.

While the team has been leaning on Kiah Stokes and rookie Liz Kitley to support A’ja Wilson, adding someone like Yueru could give them a more reliable and experienced presence inside. What strengthens her case even more is the current production gap.

Stokes is averaging just 1.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while Kitley, still adjusting to the pro level, is logging only 8.8 minutes off the bench. Neither has truly filled the void left by Parker-Tyus, who averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 boards in nearly 20 minutes per game last year. And while Aces are still holding steady at 4-2 and sitting fourth in the standings, a player like Yueru could help them climb even higher. So will the trade transpire?