Li Yueru Misses 2026 FIBA World Cup After Passport Is Lost in Mail

Q: With their star center grounded by a lost passport, can China's 7-foot-3 teenage phenom shock Team USA in Berlin?

Probably not, but China still has enough size to make the matchup uncomfortable for Team USA. Li Yueru’s absence is a major blow. She was China’s leading scorer at the 2024 Paris Olympics with 17.7 points per game and also averaged 11 rebounds, after playing a key role in China’s silver-medal run at the 2022 World Cup. Losing a 6-foot-7 center with that production strips China of experience, interior scoring and rebounding against the deepest team in the tournament. China’s best hope now is its remaining frontcourt size. Han Xu, listed around 6-foot-11, gives China a proven high-level option, and 19-year-old Zhang Ziyu, listed at 7-foot-2 or 7-foot-3, is the wild card. Her height alone can alter shots, change rebounding angles and force the U.S. into different defensive coverages. With Team USA no longer having A’ja Wilson on this roster, China’s size is at least a real tactical test. But upsetting the United States would still require more than height. Zhang is highly intriguing, yet she is inexperienced at this stage, and Team USA remains loaded with elite talent, athleticism and versatility, including Aliyah Boston, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. The U.S. has won four straight Women’s World Cups and enters Berlin as the overwhelming favorite. So Zhang could make the game fascinating and perhaps help China compete inside. Shock Team USA on her own, especially without Li Yueru? That remains a long shot.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 3

Li Yueru said she will not join China for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin because her passport was lost in the mail and still has not been found.
The 6-foot-7 Dallas Wings center wrote on Instagram that she and others explored every possible solution, but the missing passport left her unavailable when the tournament begins.
Li was a key piece for China, leading the team in scoring at the 2024 Paris Olympics, making her absence a significant blow to the roster.
Her next competitive game is now expected to be Sept. 17, when the Wings return to play against the Los Angeles Sparks.