Li helps Wings take flight

Chinese center's move to Dallas has lifted both her game and that of the franchise

With her instant fit at the Dallas Wings proving a boon for both sides, Chinese center Li Yueru has turned her WNBA career around, as fans and pundits laud her efforts to keep honing her game overseas.

As China's sole representative in the world's top women's league, Li has finally reestablished herself as a serious contender in the WNBA, following a slow start in the North American league, and then a short stint in Europe, after the 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) center helped get the fallen Wings soaring again six games into her new adventure in Dallas.

Underlined by her rebounding prowess and defensive presence in the paint, Li's arrival in Dallas, since being traded from Seattle Storm on June 14, has injected fresh dynamism into a team that had languished dead-last in the standings prior to her arrival, helping Dallas rack up four wins in the past six games to improve its record to 5-13 overall, and start climbing back up the rankings — albeit one spot at a time.