The WNBA is continuously witnessing new stars come up and take the league by storm. With some significant talent in the bank, the league is now in a position to call itself a crowd favorite. However, all of these changes did not happen overnight. It took a lot of time. And the same goes with Dallas Wings.
And one more pivotal factor for the same is the influence of the predecessors. A lot of female athletes have been inspired by watching former WNBA stars. Likewise, some have also drawn inspiration from the NBA greats who elevated themselves to an elite level. And Wings’ latest joinee, Li Yueru, has credited one such NBA great.
Dallas Wings’ Li Yueru Names Yao Ming As Her Basketball Inspiration
It has only been a month since Li Yueru joined the Dallas Wings. And quite expectedly, she must have brushed shoulders with Arike Ogunbowale. And anybody in the Dallas Wings is bound to be star-struck by Ogunbowale’s aura. Now, Yueru might have been impressed with the Wings’ star, but she drew her basketball inspiration elsewhere.
Speaking on an episode of ‘In Case You Missed It With Khristina Williams’ podcast, Yueru revealed her true hero. And it is none other than the former Houston Rockets’ star, Yao Ming. Yueru detailed that nobody from her family had a distant relation with the sport of basketball. But looking at Ming’s excellence, it instilled a fire within Yueru to try and make a name for herself on the big stage.
“My family, they don’t have any people who play any sports. So I did not watch someone when I was growing up,” Yueru said. “But when I came to the China national team, I tried to become like Yao Ming. America has many, many people who know him. They know he played good in the NBA. I want to become like him. Let people know Chinese people can do some things,” said Yueru. (Via @ICYMIwithKW on X)
Li Yueru grew up idolizing Yao Ming and now dreams of paving a similar path on the global stage.
— In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams (@ICYMIwithKW) July 25, 2025
Full conversation: https://t.co/AKnwMHgMZx pic.twitter.com/A9NNSTrBut
Surely, Ming had been one of the best centers in the NBA back in the day. Despite his career being cut short by recurring injuries, Ming is still held in high regard by NBA fans. Moreover, it was Ming’s exploits that paved the way for future Chinese hoopers to come in. Apart from the 2009-10 season, Ming had been an All-Star for every season that he played. He has a career average of 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks.
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Dallas Wings Continue To Struggle As They Waive Grace Berger
With just 7 wins and 18 losses, the Dallas Wings would need some positive energy coming in. Missing two of their prominent guards, Tyasha Harris and Maddy Siegrist, the Wings signed Grace Berger. Unfortunately, after playing for only one game, the team removed Berger from the roster.
With it, this marks the fourth time a team has waived Berger in recent times. Thus, it is evident that the likes of Li Yueru have to step up. While she has made it this far by taking inspiration from Yao Ming. She would need to keep the fire going and honor her idol by replicating the responsibilities that Ming took up for the Houston Rockets.
Also Read: Dallas Wings Sign WNBA Guard To Hardship Contract After Multiple 2025 Waivers