A Dallas Wings player’s dream of playing in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin has been dashed by a mistake no one saw coming.
Wings center Li Yueru will be unable to provide Team China with her services at the World Cup after losing her passport, an unfortunate mishap she addressed in an Instagram Story post.
“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,” The 27-year-old Yueru wrote.
“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 Yueru won't be able to represent China in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup due to missing passport! 😔
— Dallas Wings Updates (@DALWingsUpdates) September 2, 2026
via Li's Instagram pic.twitter.com/z1VViJ9l4v
The absence of 6-foot-7 Yueru is a big blow for China’s World Cup campaign. Without her, the team is missing its most prolific scorer and rebounder in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she averaged 17.7 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 63% from the field.
China will look to buck the odds and try to pull off an upset in its FIBA World Cup opener on Friday at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany, against Team USA, which is also without its best center.
