‘Li Was a Big Presence’: Li Yueru Out for Season With ACL Sprain, Dallas Wings Adjust Before Los Angeles Sparks Rematch

The Dallas Wings will be without center Li Yueru for the remainder of the 2025 season after she was diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprain in her left knee.

The team said Yueru, who sustained the injury against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 15, is expected to make a full recovery. She was with the team in Los Angeles during Tuesday’s practice. She also did light work with resistance bands and on the exercise bike. After her workout, she wore a brace over her left knee and walked with a limp.

Since joining Dallas on June 14, Yueru has averaged 7.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 21 games, starting 12. She was coming off a breakthrough performance against the Indiana Fever earlier this month, when she scored a career-high 20 points in a one-point win that ended a five-game skid.

Dallas Wings Adjusting Without Li Yueru

With Yueru sidelined, the Wings will need to rely more heavily on smaller lineups. Luisa Geiselsöder said the absence of Dallas’ tallest player means the team has to approach rebounding and inside play differently.

“Li was a big presence down there, so we have to try to find a different way to get that presence,” Geiselsöder told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We just have to work harder now. And then in offense, I think we just have to play a little bit differently, but not too much. We have enough players to play back-to-basket post-up. We have players that can knock down. She was fitting in really well, but we just have to find a way to step up now and kind of figure it out around it.”

Geiselsöder added that without Yueru’s 6-foot-7 frame anchoring the paint, the Wings no longer have a natural size advantage on the boards. She said the responsibility of controlling the glass now shifts to the entire roster, requiring every player to box out and secure rebounds.

“I think this goes back to everybody—box their matchups out and then grab that ball, because now we don’t have, as you said, a big player down there who can grab the ball easily with the size advantage,” Geiselsöder explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “So we just have to work harder now.”

Building Chemistry in the Frontcourt

Beyond the tactical adjustments, Geiselsöder pointed to her on-court partnership with Myisha Hines-Allen as an important strength for Dallas’ frontcourt. She explained that Hines-Allen’s ability to communicate and set the tone has been invaluable, especially in moments when the team has been forced to adapt to injuries and smaller lineups. Geiselsöder said she often studies how Hines-Allen positions herself, both offensively and defensively, and tries to model her approach to decision-making on the floor.

“I love playing with Myisha. It’s great. I can learn a lot from her,” Geiselsöder shared with DallasHoopsJournal.com. “She’s a vet, and especially in my position, she’s the vet on the team. So I just try to soak everything in that she gives me, learn from her, and when I’m on the court or off the court, just try to see how she’s moving, how she’s talking.”

She added that when the two share the floor together, their versatility opens up the offense in ways that make Dallas less predictable. Geiselsöder noted that both she and Hines-Allen can operate inside or step out to the perimeter, allowing the Wings to play through multiple options. That flexibility, she said, forces opponents to constantly adjust and gives Dallas more rhythm in its half-court sets.

“She’s the big communicator in our team, and I want to learn from that. I want to take it in. And then, I mean, when we’re both on the court, I think we’re really flexible with the inside-outside game because we can literally play anywhere there,” Geiselsöder noted to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “So yeah, honestly, it’s fun to play with her.”

Rallying Around Li Yueru

Hines-Allen said the injury is difficult for the team, noting how much Yueru’s presence meant on both ends of the floor. She acknowledged that losing a reliable interior defender and rebounder adds to the adversity the Wings have already faced this season, but emphasized that the group has grown accustomed to navigating challenges. She believes the team’s resilience and ability to adjust will help them handle yet another setback.

“Oh no, it definitely sucks. Like when someone goes down, it doesn’t matter what position they are. 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,” Hines-Allen emphasized to DallasHoopsJournal.com.

She added that the team has shown resilience all season when facing adversity, pointing to stretches where injuries and lineup changes forced players into new roles. Hines-Allen said the group has consistently found ways to compete despite being shorthanded, relying on effort, communication, and trust in one another. That experience, she noted, gives the Wings confidence that they can respond again in the wake of Yueru’s absence.

“Again, we’re a team—we’ve fought through adversity this whole season, so I think we’re going to be prepared,” Hines-Allen told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Just wishing Li the best, hoping that everything goes well with her. But everyone’s just having to step up now.”

For Hines-Allen, the key to competing while playing smaller will be to do the little things right, especially on the boards. She stressed that without Yueru’s size inside, Dallas can’t afford to miss box-outs or give up extra possessions. Every rebound, she explained, now requires collective effort—making first contact, sealing off bigger opponents, and fighting for second chances. Hines-Allen said the Wings’ margin for error shrinks in smaller lineups, so attention to detail on fundamentals like rebounding and positioning becomes even more important.

“I think it’s the little things,” Hines-Allen detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Going back to when we first pick up a ball, it’s about how to box out—checking before you just go and try to get the rebound. Also, just holding up. Like you said, they’re big in size, so it’s about making a dent. And again, I feel like across the board we’re all the same size when we do go big, or small, whatever you want to call it. So it’s about holding them up, second efforts, and focusing on those small little details.”

Dallas Wings Making Defensive Emphasis

Head coach Chris Koclanes said the focus against the Sparks is on sharpening the defensive identity, particularly when it comes to finishing possessions. He pointed out that while Dallas has made strides offensively, lapses on defense and rebounding have often shifted momentum in close games.

Against a Sparks team that thrives on paint scoring and pace, Koclanes said the Wings must be more disciplined in boxing out, limiting second-chance opportunities, and setting a physical tone from the start.

“Number one, our defense,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Looking for us to establish a physicality defensively and really just execute a little bit better, minimize some of our slippage. We need to finish possessions better—we gave up 15 offensive rebounds for 15 second-chance points. So just cleaning up on the margins a little bit.”

Koclanes acknowledged that Yueru’s injury changes the team’s look, noting that losing a 6-foot-7 interior anchor takes away a natural rim protector and high-low option that had been developing. Still, Koclanes said it also creates flexibility, giving the Wings opportunities to experiment with more versatile, switch-heavy lineups that can keep the floor spaced offensively while covering ground defensively. He explained that the absence of a traditional center might allow Dallas to lean into its mobility and skill, forcing opponents to adjust to a faster, more unpredictable style of play.

“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 said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “So just a little less size. Maddie at the four some more. 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. So we’ll explore some different things on that end too.”

Koclanes said one priority will be establishing Geiselsöder in the post to balance the offense. He explained that while Dallas has benefited from increased spacing and ball movement with smaller lineups, the team still needs a consistent interior option. By running actions that create early post touches for Geiselsöder—whether in transition or after initial ball movement—the Wings can force defenses to collapse, opening up kick-out opportunities for shooters and driving lanes for guards.

“We’ve got to establish Lou inside. She’s got good touch down there. And so it’s about finding the balance, right?” Koclanes explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We love when the court is spaced and there’s more room to attack the paint and see it. Then it’s about finding opportunities to get her posts down there—whether that’s in transition, running fast to create mismatches early, or after initial actions, creating mismatches and rolling down to put pressure on the paint.”

Los Angeles Sparks Rematch

The Wings (9-26) are coming off a 106-87 loss at the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Maddy Siegrist led Dallas with a career-high 23 points, while Paige Bueckers added 18 points. The Sparks (16-18) dropped their last game on the road to the Washington Mystics, 95-86. Dearica Hamby had a team-high 26 points.

Dallas and Los Angeles met just last Friday at College Park Center, where the Sparks pulled out a 97-96 win. Bueckers had a game-high 29 points in the loss.

The Wings and Sparks will tip off again on Wednesday at 9 p.m. CT at Crypto.com Arena. The game will air locally in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on KFAA29 and stream out of market on WNBA League Pass.

The teams will meet once more this season in Los Angeles on Sept. 7.

More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors

• 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: “It’s About How You Contribute to Winning”: Paige Bueckers Breaks Dallas Wings Rookie Assist Record, Fastest to 500 Points
• 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: “We Can Always Rely on Our Defense”: Paige Bueckers Shares Key Message for Dallas Wings After Win Over Indiana Fever
• WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers