CBS Rating Li Yueru Deal: Flying Wings Gets Starting Center Rating B + Storm Makes Room for Rating B

On June 15, Beijing time, the Dallas Flying Wings have traded center Li Yueru from the Seattle Storm, and the chips given away for this are a 2026 second-round pick (including a swap with the Connecticut Sunshine) and a 2027 third-round pick (including a swap with Indiana Fever), and the two teams have officially announced the news.

Earlier this month, Li Yueru publicly requested a trade due to her displeasure with her playing time at Storm. ESPN reported that the Chinese Basketball Association also hopes that Li Yueru can get more playing time if she stays in the WNBA. "I don't feel like I've had enough time on the court," Ms. Li said last week, "and I'm just here to play." I'm really happy and grateful because I got to know a lot of teammates, make a lot of new friends, and get to know a lot of different staff and coaches. It really makes me happy and I'm very happy about it, but playing is one of the important things for me. ”

Now that Li Yueru's wish has been fulfilled, the well-known American media CBS Sports has rated the deal, as follows-

The Flying Wings got Li Yueru and rated B+

The first month of the season for the Wings was a disaster. Ogon Bowal is nothing like what she usually is, with first-round pick Page missing four games due to a concussion and illness, Harris being reimbursed for the season after undergoing knee surgery, and there have been major questions about first-year coach Chris Corcoran, who sits at the bottom of the team with a 1-11 record.

After winning just nine games last year and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020, the Wings had hoped to bounce back after a busy winter and be more competitive this season. Instead, they're heading for the worst season in franchise history and are already far out of the playoffs.

Due to injuries and Corcoran's roster changes, the Wings have started eight different players this season. The situation will only get more complicated in the coming weeks, as McCown (Turkey) and Gesselsaud (Germany) will compete in the European Women's Basketball Championship, which will take place from June 18 to 29.

Center Gesselsold has recently been inserted into the starting line-up and has contributed some decent playing time for the Wings. In their most recent game against the Aces, she scored 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks without missing a single shot. While McCown has had some sporadic playing time this season, she is the only other true center on the team who can make a difference in some of the alignments.

With Gesselsold and McCown about to travel abroad, the Wings desperately need some help up front, and the arrival of Li Yueru has helped solve that problem in the short term.Li Yueru is likely to go straight into the starting lineup in the next game of the Flying Wings against the Golden State Valkyries.

Lee had a disappointing start to the season, averaging just 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game while shooting 30 percent from the field in nine games for the Storms. However, it was clear that she was unhappy with the status quo, which may have affected her performance.

The 26-year-old has impressed overseas and has shown some shining points in the WNBA, including 15 points and 10 rebounds against the Connecticut Sunshine in the preseason last month. However, she hasn't had any strong performances for long periods of time – but she certainly hasn't had many playing opportunities.

As the Wings await the return of their two centers, Li Yueru will certainly be a helpful addition. The question is whether Lee will stay in the rotation once they return. Will she be in the same situation she was in when she was in Seattle?

All the Wings paid for was a second-round pick and a third-round pick, so the deal didn't hurt them. At the very least, they have a chance to examine Li Yueru and see if she can be a long-term answer to their frontcourt as they continue to rebuild.

The Storm got two draft picks and rated B

When the Storm acquired Lee in February, she seemed the perfect candidate as the third interior after Ogumik and Magbegor. However, the Storm drafted another center, France's star Maronga.

The Storm roster doesn't need another interior lineup, but the team can't afford to miss a player with potential like Malonga. Storm had to choose her before solving other problems. Part of that process ended up being a trade for Li Yueru.

The Storm may not be in a hurry to trade Li Yueru, but once she makes a public trade request, the Storm has little choice but to send her away. There's no reason to leave an unhappy player in the dressing room.

For a bench interior whose contract expires at the end of a season, the Storm never get much in return. A 2026 second-round pick could not be too bad due to the swap rights with the Suns, but even so, that pick could be around 17-20 overall due to the addition of two new expansion teams next year. As for the three-round pick in 2027, it basically doesn't make much sense.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the deal for the Storm is that they now have an open roster spot and salary space to sign a player who could be more useful to the team this season. They started with a 6-4 record and are looking to make a difference in the playoffs.