Dallas Wings’ Li Yueru Out for Season With ACL Sprain, Arike Ogunbowale Has No Timetable With Knee Tendinitis
The Dallas Wings’ injury list has grown into a defining storyline of their season, with the team confirming this week that two more key players will be sidelined long-term.
Arike Ogunbowale, the team’s leading scorer, was recently diagnosed with tendinitis in her right knee. She will remain out and be reevaluated in the coming weeks. Li Yueru, who had emerged as a reliable interior presence, is out for the remainder of the season with an ACL sprain in her left knee sustained Aug. 15 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Tyasha Harris remains out for the year after undergoing left knee surgery.
The losses leave Dallas without one of its most productive offensive player, its tallest interior defender, and a veteran playmaker. Rookie guard Aziaha James is probable to play despite a right foot injury, but the depth concerns remain significant.
Injuries Mount as Dallas Wings’ Season Wears On
The Wings’ adversity continues with the latest setback to Yueru. Dallas players have missed more than 90 games this season due to injuries or EuroBasket commitments. With multiple season-ending injuries, the projection is for nearly 120 games lost before the season ends.
The toll has forced the Wings to play more than 70% of their games with 10 or fewer players available, and more than 30% with nine or fewer.
Forward Myisha Hines-Allen said the group has been forced to adjust constantly.
“Oh no, it definitely sucks. Like when someone goes down, it doesn’t matter what position they are,” Hines-Allen told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But especially as a post player, now we’re going to really rely heavily on Lou to step up big time in that post player position. Again, we’re a team—we’ve fought through adversity this whole season, so I think we’re going to be prepared.”
Opportunities and Outlook
Head coach Chris Koclanes said the injuries change the makeup of the roster but also create new opportunities to adapt.
“Just a little less size now. She was coming off that great game against Indy, and her and Myisha really found that high-low game inside-out that was working,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But we can still find mismatches and play inside-out. Defensively though, it maybe allows us to be a little more versatile, with some more switching lineups if we’re putting a lot of players out there of similar sizes.”
The Wings (9-26) have battled through short-handed rotations for much of the year, often relying on smaller lineups and younger players to carry extended minutes. Maddy Siegrist and Paige Bueckers have stepped forward offensively, but without Ogunbowale and Yueru, the roster is left without two of its most consistent scoring options.
Dallas has eight games remaining in the regular season, including two more against the Sparks, who lead the all-time series 49-32. The Wings and Sparks will meet again on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena, with tipoff at 9 p.m. CT on KFAA29 and WNBA League Pass.
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: “Our Spacing and Ball Movement Are Encouraging”: Arike Ogunbowale Sidelined With Knee Tendinitis as Dallas Wings Offense Surges
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Li Yueru Out for Season With ACL Sprain; Team Adjusts Ahead of Los Angeles Sparks Rematch
- WNBA News: “Maddy’s a Bucket”: Maddy Siegrist Emerging as Key Scorer for Dallas Wings, Posts Career Night Against Las Vegas Aces
- WNBA News: “We’re Very One-Dimensional”: Dallas Wings Seek More Defensive Disruption After Loss Against Las Vegas Aces
- WNBA News: “We’ve Got to Be Better Defensively”: Dallas Wings Overwhelmed by Las Vegas Aces’ 18 Threes, A’ja Wilson in Loss
- WNBA News: “I Saw That Dog in Her Today”: Paige Bueckers Shines but Dallas Wings’ Late Rally Falls Short vs. Los Angeles Sparks
- WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers
