“I had heard earlier that Li Yueru was considering not going to the Asia Cup, which is typically a tournament that happens the same year that Euro Basket does, and in some years it’s a qualifier for the Olympics,” Powell said.
“There was a thought of wanting to commit to the W, but the thing about how playing time has something to do with this–and this is a trends that we’ve seen with Chinese WNBA players over the years–if the Chinese Federation notices that one of their players is not playing meaningful minutes, they get in touch and they want to know why, and they want that player instead to be working with the National Team in China.”
Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.
Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
Powell goes on to point out that Seattle essentially has several options at center and power forward on the current roster, including No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga, which makes the battle for meaningful minutes much more complicated.
“A trade here could be an easy win for both sides,” Powell argues. “I would not be surprised if Seattle gets some shooting in return from the guard or wing spot.”
Tune in to Locked On Women’s Basketball
Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
In the second segment, Megdal shares his interview with Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon about adjusting to the league in Year 2 and settling with a new team following an offseason trade.
“I’ve really been trying to slow down and let the game come to me and and it does work,” Sheldon said. “I think just being able to change speeds, and being able to slow down sometimes and use that speed to my advantage even more, has been a focus of mine. But absolutely and then also just being more confident going into year two, being more comfortable, I think that shows out there too. So those are two things that have, you know, helped me in that aspect.”
Tune in to hear more from Sheldon and make sure you are subscribed to Locked On Women’s Basketball for news and interviews throughout the WNBA season.
