A Passport Lost in the Mail Knocks 6-Foot-7 WNBA Center Li Yueru Out of the World Cup
An envelope lost somewhere in the mail has changed China’s plans for one of the biggest women’s basketball tournaments in the world.
Dallas Wings center Li Yueru will miss the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin after her replacement passport disappeared before she could travel, according to reports published Wednesday, September 2.
“Unfortunately, my passport was lost in the mail and still hasn’t been found,” Li wrote in a public statement shared on Instagram.
The timing could hardly be worse. The tournament begins Friday, September 4, and China opens against the defending champion United States.
A missing document became a roster decision
The Associated Press reported that the missing document was a replacement passport and that Li could not obtain another one in time. Reuters also confirmed that the passport remained missing Wednesday, leaving her unable to travel outside the United States.
Li said she, the Chinese Basketball Association and the national team explored possible solutions but ran out of time. No mail carrier, tracking history or explanation for the loss had been publicly identified by Wednesday afternoon, so assigning blame would go beyond the available facts.
Her absence is unusually jarring because it was not caused by an injury, suspension or coaching decision. A travel document—not a basketball issue—removed an established international player from the tournament.
Why Li’s absence matters to China
Li, 27, is a 6-foot-7 center whose size and international experience give China an important interior presence. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she led the national team with averages of 17.7 points and 11 rebounds, according to AP and Reuters.
Her official WNBA profile lists her with the Dallas Wings and confirms that she was the 35th selection in the 2019 draft. She has appeared in 114 WNBA games, including 29 this season, with career averages of 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Those WNBA numbers reflect a reserve role, but her responsibilities for China have been much larger. Li was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder in Paris, and China earned the silver medal at the previous Women’s World Cup in 2022.
China still has extraordinary frontcourt size available, including 6-foot-10 Han Xu and 7-foot-3 teenager Zhang Ziyu. But replacing Li’s experience, rebounding and established chemistry days before the opening game is a separate challenge.
China now opens against Team USA without her
The official FIBA schedule places the tournament in Berlin from September 4 through September 13. Sixteen national teams are competing, with China grouped alongside the United States, Italy and Czechia.
China’s first game is Friday against a U.S. program that has won the past four World Cups. That matchup already posed a severe test. Losing one of China’s most experienced centers makes the opening assignment more difficult and forces an immediate redistribution of minutes and responsibilities.
Li says the disappointment will not change her commitment
Li emphasized that the national team has supported her overseas career and that representing China remains an honor. She described missing the tournament as painful but thanked supporters of Chinese women’s basketball.
The story is a reminder that elite sporting events depend on more than talent, health and preparation. Visas, passports, flights and deadlines can decide who reaches the court—and in Li’s case, the breakdown happened before the journey could even begin.
This article was published September 2, 2026, using information available at publication time. It will be updated if Li, the Chinese Basketball Association or tournament officials announce a change.
