‘It’s All About Early Physicality’: Li Yueru Downgraded to Out as Dallas Wings Brace for A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Grant AfsethAugust 17, 2025October 21, 2025no comment

Nick White/DallasHoopsJournal.com

The Dallas Wings will be without both Arike Ogunbowale and Li Yueru when they take on the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday afternoon. The team announced that Yueru has been downgraded to out due to a left knee injury, dealing another blow to Dallas’ already thin frontcourt rotation.

Ogunbowale, sidelined with right knee soreness, will miss her third straight game. She remains the Wings’ leading scorer this season and has been central to their offensive production. Tyasha Harris remains out for the season with a left knee injury, further limiting Dallas’ backcourt depth.

Without Ogunbowale, Yueru, and Harris, the Wings (9-25, 3-13 Western Conference) will again lean heavily on Paige Bueckers and smaller lineups to compete.

Defensive Challenge Without Li Yueru

Yueru logged nine minutes in Friday’s narrow 97-96 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, finishing with three points, one rebound, one assist, and two blocks. Her absence removes one of Dallas’ few sources of rim protection as they prepare to face A’ja Wilson, who has powered the Aces (20-14, 12-8 Western Conference) with consistent MVP-level production.

Wilson racked up 30 points (8-of-16 FG, 14-of-15 FT), 16 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks in Friday’s 86-83 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. She has grabbed at least 16 boards in three straight games and has recorded at least two blocks in 20 contests this season.

“All five together,” Wings head coach Chris Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Our post players that are on her — it’s early physicality. It’s everything we do before the catch—can we prevent some catches, can we push catches further away from the hoop? It’s all of our effort with her one-on-one, and then everybody else having good attention and awareness to her.”

Luisa Geiselsöder acknowledged the challenge of matching up with Wilson without the depth Yueru provides.

“It’s tough, but it’s also fun. It’s a challenge,” Geiselsöder told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s about making her get tough catches, pushing her out, being physical with her, and not giving her what she wants. She’s probably the best player in the world, so it’s going to be hard, but I just have to do my best to disturb her.”

Paige Bueckers Continues to Shoulder the Load

With Ogunbowale sidelined, Bueckers has carried the scoring load for Dallas. Against Los Angeles, she scored 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting while breaking the franchise rookie assist record and becoming the fastest rookie in team history to reach 500 points.

Bueckers emphasized the team’s collective approach to navigating injuries.

“Nobody can replace Arike, so everybody just has to step up and do a little bit more,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s really been a team effort to try to make up for her presence.”

Koclanes praised her ability to impact the game both on and off the ball. “We’re putting her in a ton of actions and asking her to be the primary playmaker.

There’s a lot on her shoulders, but to her credit, she makes the right read and moves the ball,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “When she’s off the ball, she doesn’t stop moving, so the ball always finds its way back to her.”

Dallas Wings Look for Defensive Consistency

The Wings shot 50.7% from the field and recorded 32 assists in Friday’s loss, but defensive breakdowns and turnovers cost them late. Koclanes pointed to the need for improvement on that end.

“From that LA game, the offense was clicking on all cylinders, but the defense was exploited in stretches,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Tonight, we’re looking for a better defensive effort in doing two things—to be a defensive team, we have to be able to help each other and also get out to guard the arc and guard one-on-one.”

The Aces enter the matchup having won eight of their last 10 and rank sixth in the WNBA in points in the paint at 32.1 per game, largely behind Wilson’s 12.2 average. For Dallas, the focus will be on slowing Wilson’s interior dominance while balancing defensive rotations against Las Vegas’ three-point shooting.

Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT Sunday on ABC.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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