On August 2, the Dallas Wings will host the Indiana Fever, looking to secure their first win against them this season. They have lost both previous matchups, with scores of 86-94 and 83-102. Li Yueru is expected to serve as a substitute for the third consecutive game. After moving to the bench, her shooting percentage has been outstanding, with a total of 7 successful shots out of 8 attempts, achieving 8 points and 7 rebounds in one game and 7 points and 3 rebounds in another. What kind of performance can we expect from her against the Fever?
Since joining the Wings, Li Yueru has averaged 8.1 points and 6.6 rebounds over 16 games, showing a significant improvement compared to her time with the Storm (2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds). In these 16 games, she has come off the bench in 5 of them, including the last 2 games.
The Wings' Pei Qi and Ogunbowale are one of the highest-scoring duos since the All-Star break, with Pei Qi averaging 18 points and Ogunbowale averaging 17.2 points. Only three combinations have achieved an average of at least 17 points per player since the All-Star break.
Ogunbowale has been in excellent form recently; in the game against last season's WNBA champions, the New York Liberty, on Tuesday, she recorded 14 assists, tying the franchise record for most assists in a single game. She scored 15 points and made 10 assists in the first half, becoming the first player in franchise history and the third in WNBA history to achieve a double-double in points and assists by halftime.
On the Fever's side, their key player Clark will continue to be sidelined due to injury, missing the chance to compete against Pei Qi again. The two faced off on July 14, where Clark scored 14 points with 13 assists and 5 steals, while Pei Qi contributed 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
So far this season, Clark has played only 13 games, averaging 16.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. Her injuries have affected her performance, resulting in a shooting percentage of only 36.7% and a three-point percentage as low as 27.9%.