It's hard to change teams! Behind Li Yueru's request for a trade: The WNBA is no longer the world of traditional insiders

On June 11, Beijing time, the American media swishappeal wrote an article analyzing Li Yueru's application for a trade, believing that this incident reflects that like the NBA, the WNBA is no longer the world of traditional insiders.

So far this season, Li has played in all nine games for the Storm, but as one of Seattle's strong frontcourt players, she is averaging less than 10 minutes per game. Li Yueru then talked about her situation, she said: "I only came to the United States for one reason, and that is to play basketball. This team is really perfect. It's the best team I've ever joined...... We've got the best interior players in the world, we've got four interior players, and I don't feel like I've got enough playing time. ”

U.S. media said that on the surface, Li Yueru's trade application seems to be the product of the conflict between the Chinese national team and the Seattle Storm. The Chinese national team will want a lot of playing time from one of their most promising players, while the Storms are a crowded and talented team up front. This is indeed a fact. But at a macro level,Li's trade request reflects a broader reality in the WNBA today: the league is no longer the domain of traditional interior players.

Even if every WNBA team were given a 13-man roster spot, it would be highly unlikely that any decision-maker would choose to fill that spot with a center. Defenders and wingers are highly valued, while interior players are not. This is the modern WNBA, where height tends to hinder rather than enhance the effectiveness of a roster.

In factFor a 2.01-meter-tall centre-forward, Li Yueru is slightly less traditional than one might expect.In her 63 WNBA career games, she shot 91.6 percent from the free-throw line, and she began to shoot from beyond the three-point line. She made 15 three-pointers last season with the Sparks and has made four for the Storm this season, including 2-of-2 three-pointers in six minutes of the first half in the Storms' June 4 win over the Wings.

Such a good performance will surely win her more opportunities, right? Not really. Li Yueru did not get a chance to play in the second half. It wasn't an unwise decision by head coach Quinn, as the Storms ended up comfortably beating the Wings. Only when the opposing coach sends their 2.01m center McCawan will Quinn send Li Yueru on the field. Lee and McCoun's playing time were almost exactly matched, with both coaches opting for lineups that focused on two-way versatility for much of the game.

Unfortunately for Lee, her three-point shooting ability may actually reduce her precious playing time, as she hitting one or two three-pointers could cause opposing coaches to replace traditional interior players who can't defend her effectively, which in turn would prompt Quinn to replace Li Yueru to match the opponent's now smaller lineup. That's what happened when playing against the Flying Wings.

The Storm won the Mercury in their last game, and Li Yueru played less than 6 minutes again, scoring 2 points from the free throw. The Mercury are a team with a modern lineup and currently only one healthy, traditional interior player, Carani Brown, who has also played just 13 minutes.

In today's WNBA, it's not enough for a traditional interior player like Li Yueru to stand out.They must be elite and have an almost unstoppable advantage, whether it's basket protection or low-post scoring, to make up for weaknesses that are easier to expose in the modern WNBA. Even Brittney Grinaer, one of the league's best interior players, struggled early this season, and she struggled to adjust to her role in the Atlanta Dream's new offensive system.

And with the Storms, they don't have to make the kind of trade-offs that Li and other more traditional interior players demand, because their other interior players — Ogukic, Magbego and Malonga — have skills that make them a good fit for the more open, faster-paced WNBA.

Therefore, this situation in Seattle is not an accusation against the Storms, Li Yueru or the Chinese national team. It reflects the changes in the Union,In this changing league, it can be difficult to find a home for Li Yueru that will allow her to get the consistent playing time she wants, not to mention all the rules regarding rosters, salary caps and assets that make mid-season trades rare in the WNBA.