HARTFORD, Conn. — Li Yueru‘s fingerprints were all over Dallas’ fourth-quarter comeback, and not just because of the shot that dropped through the net.
Yueru finished with five points and two rebounds in 9 minutes, 32 seconds, going 1-of-1 from the field and 2-of-2 at the free-throw line, as the Dallas Wings rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Connecticut Sun, 86-83.
A Perfect Night by the Numbers
Yueru entered Thursday averaging 3.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists across 14 games this season, a bench role built around situational bursts.
She made every shot she took in Hartford, going 1-of-1 from the field and 2-of-2 at the line, a clean outing against season marks of 34.4% shooting and 22.2% from three. Her lone field goal was a 24-foot 3-pointer that tied the game at 78-78 with 1:51 remaining, a shot coach Jose Fernandez singled out as one of the turning points.
“That corner three was a really big shot,” Fernandez said.
A New Look on Griner
The bigger swing came on the other end. The Wings spent the first half sending early double-teams at Brittney Griner, using Awak Kuier as the primary defender. Griner read those looks well, finding open teammates out of the double and helping Connecticut build a 43-35 halftime lead. Fernandez turned to 6-foot-7 Yueru to match size.
“In the first half we tried to guard Brittney Griner with Awak and bring doubles, but Griner did a great job reading the double teams and finding open teammates,” Fernandez said. “With Li, she showed a lot of resistance inside and really bothered Griner’s vision.”
The Payoff Two Ways
The adjustment paid off on both ends. With Yueru matching Griner physically in the post, Dallas no longer needed to send extra bodies, tightening the defense everywhere else on the floor. And when Griner rotated away from the rim to help, Yueru made her pay from the outside.
“Then when we spread the floor, Griner went to help defensively and we found Li in the corner,” Fernandez said. “She hit a huge three.”
Dallas outscored Connecticut 51-40 over the final two quarters after trailing by as many as 14 points, and Fernandez pointed to the matchup change built around Yueru as the reason the defense looked like a different unit after halftime.
Dallas (13-8) visits the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, continuing a four-game road trip.
