When China takes the court against the United States on Friday for its first game of the FIBA Women's World Cup, it will have to do so without one of its best players, Dallas Wings center Li Yueru. Li is unable to join her team in Berlin because her passport was lost in the mail and she couldn't get a replacement one in time, the 27-year-old wrote on Instagram. "The national team have always made me feel valued and wanted, and it has always been a tremendous honor to represent China.
I was incredibly excited and looking forward to joining the national team again," Li said. "Unfortunately, my passport was lost in the mail and still hasn't been found. Throughout this time, we've all been working hard together and exploring every possible solution, but maybe we were just a little short on luck this time.
As of today, the passport is still missing." ❗️| Li Yueru won't be able to represent China in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup due to missing passport! 😔via Li's Instagram pic.twitter.com/z1VViJ9l4v Li has been a staple on the Chinese national team for almost a decade. She helped China to the silver medal at the 2022 World Cup, leading the team in scoring and rebounding in the Final against the United States with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She was also China's leading scorer and rebounder at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The 6-foot-7 star was expected to be China's starting center this World Cup. Without her, China will still have plenty of size, though, with 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu and 6-foot-9 Han Xu. Still, Li's absence is a huge blow to China's chances at getting back onto the World Cup podium.
The Atlanta Dream drafted Li with the 35th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. She made her WNBA debut in 2022 with the Chicago Sky, and has since played for the Los Angeles Sparks, Seattle Storm and Wings, where she has spent the past two seasons. She also won a championship in Unrivaled this season with Mist BC, playing alongside Breanna Stewart, Arike Ogunbowale, Allisha Gray, Veronica Burton and Alanna Smith.
"Sometimes, disappointment is simply part of life. I'm sad that I won't be able to be there this time, but I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me and continues to support Chinese women's basketball," Li wrote in her Instagram post. "Thank you for all the love and support.
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