DHJ Quick Take: Li Yueru Added to Wings’ Injury Report as Sparks Loom
The Dallas Wings listed center Li Yueru as questionable with a left ankle injury for Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup game at the Los Angeles Sparks, while forward Awak Kuier remains out with a right wrist injury. Both were held out of Thursday’s practice in Los Angeles.
- How Did the Report Change? Li Yueru was added as questionable with a left ankle injury, joining Awak Kuier, who remains out with a right wrist injury.
- Who Is Affected? Yueru, a reserve center, and Kuier, a frontcourt forward who has been one of the Wings’ most impactful bench contributors this season.
- Why Does It Matter? Two frontcourt absences put more of the interior load on Jessica Shepard, Alanna Smith, and Maddy Siegrist and thin Dallas’s depth against the Sparks’ front line.
- What’s Next? Dallas visits the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT.
LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Wings added center Li Yueru to their injury report Thursday, listing her as questionable with a left ankle injury for Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup game at the Los Angeles Sparks. Forward Awak Kuier (right wrist) remains out.
Neither player took part in practice Thursday. Yueru spent much of the session stretching with the athletic trainer and left the gym with ice on her ankle. Kuier ran sprints during the open media portion of practice.
The Wings have leaned on the stretch between games to get on the practice floor.
“What I’ve liked about it, besides the rest, is getting practices,” coach Jose Fernandez said. “You play a game, get one day, and then you’re playing another one.”
Paige Bueckers said the time has allowed Dallas to work on itself rather than only game-plan.
“Us being able to get reps in practice has helped too,” Bueckers said.
Li Yueru Listed as Questionable
Yueru, a 6-foot-7 center, has averaged 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 6 games as a reserve. Her most productive outing came May 20 at Chicago, when she posted 7 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists with a plus-18 in 20 minutes.
She last appeared June 1 against Seattle, playing 9 minutes.
Awak Kuier Remains Out
Kuier has been one of Dallas’s most efficient contributors off the bench, averaging 6.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 8 games while shooting 65.4% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range. She carries a plus-56 mark for the season. Kuier scored 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting on May 22 at Atlanta and last played May 28 against Las Vegas, when she had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 21 minutes.
The absences put more on Jessica Shepard, who was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week on June 2, the first such honor of her career and the first by a Wings player since July 2023. Shepard is averaging 11.0 rebounds, second in the league, and through June 3 was the only WNBA player averaging at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Alanna Smith and Maddy Siegrist will be needed to step up as well.
What’s Next
Dallas (6-3) enters on a three-game winning streak and ranks fifth in the WNBA in defensive rating (103.2) through June 3. A win Friday would extend the streak to four, the franchise’s longest since the 2023 regular season. The Sparks (4-5) are coming off a 79-69 home loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday.
The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena, with tip-off at 9 p.m. CT and the game airing nationally on ION. With Kuier out and Yueru uncertain, Dallas’s interior depth faces a test against a Sparks front line built around Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Dallas Wings Release Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu From Developmental Contract
- Dallas Wings’ Jessica Shepard Named WNBA Western Conference Player Of The Week
- ‘She Was Aggressive’: Aziaha James Scores Season-High 18 Points In Dallas Wings’ Rout Of Seattle Storm
- ‘Not A Pretty Basketball Game’: Dallas Wings Grind Out 79-56 Win Over Seattle Storm For Best Start Since 2016 Move To Texas
- Dallas Wings’ Awak Kuier To Be Evaluated In One Week With Wrist Injury
- ‘Communication Solves A Lot Of Problems’: Elite On Offense, The Dallas Wings’ Next Step Is Defense
- ‘Another Angle Of Attack’: Dallas Wings’ Elite Offense Keeps Adding Layers With Jessica Shepard As An Initiator
