8-Day Storm Preview: Li Yueru ushered in her first game after requesting a trade for the third time this season against the Mercury

At 10 a.m. Beijing time on June 8, the WNBA President's Cup will continue with the Seattle Storms away against the Phoenix Mercury. This is Li Yueru's first game after requesting a trade, will the Storm coaching staff still give her a chance to play?

So far this season, Li Yueru has played in 8 games, averaging only 9.1 minutes of playing time per game, contributing 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds. Due to the lack of playing time to meet her expectations, Li Yueru has requested a trade from the Storms.

In a recent interview, Li Yueru said: "I don't feel like I have enough time on the court. I'm here just to play. I was really happy and grateful because I got to know a lot of teammates, make a lot of new friends, and get to know different staff and coaches. It all makes me happy, but playing is one of the most important things for me. ”

In five of her last six games, Li Yueru has played less than eight minutes. Especially in the last game against the Dallas Wings, she hit two three-pointers in the first quarter and scored six points efficiently, but was quickly substituted and ended up playing less than six minutes in the whole game. Storm coach Quinn prefers to save playing time for 19-year-old Maronga.

This game between the Storm and the Mercury will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. Both sides won one of their previous two contests. On May 18, in the season opener in Phoenix, the Mercury defeated the Storm 81-59. In the rematch on May 24, the Storm scored 24 points each from Deakins and Ogumic to take revenge on the Mercury 77-70.

The Mercury are currently 6-3 and have their best start since 2018, while the Storms are 4-4. In terms of stats, Sabali leads the Mercury with 20.3 points per game, while the Storm leads the way with Deakins (16.8) and Ogumic (16.5).