The absence of Chinese Li Yueru will leave the team without an experienced centre. Thomas Coex/Getty Images
Dallas Wings center Li Yueru will not represent China at the FIBA World Championship, which takes place on Friday in Berlin. On Wednesday, Li announced on social media that her passport had been lost in the mail.
Despite all efforts to find a solution, her agent confirmed to The Athletic that she will not be allowed to travel outside of the United States, making her unable to compete.
Online fans have noticed Li’s absence from the FIBA World Cup social media featuring China, and the official account of the tournament has yet to release the official Chinese roster. China’s first game is against Team USA on Friday, followed by the Czech Republic on Sunday and Italy on Monday.
“The national team has always made me valued and in demand, and it has always been a great honor for me to represent China,” Li wrote. “I was incredibly excited and looking forward to rejoining the national team.
“Sometimes disappointment is just a part of life,” she added. “I’m sad that I won’t be able to be there this time, but I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me and continues to support Chinese women’s basketball.”
Li has been one of the best players in the Chinese national team in recent years. She was the team’s leading scorer (17.7 points per game) and sixth overall at the Paris Olympics. She also led the competition in rebounds per game (11).
China still has a substantial frontcourt in her absence with 6-foot-11 Han Xu, who plays for the New York Liberty, and 7-3 Zhang Ziyu. However, Zhang is 19 years old and much less experienced than Li on this stage.
Lee is now forced to focus on the rest of the WNBA season. Dallas has already qualified for the postseason and is now fighting for a playoff spot. As a reserve, Lee is averaging 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
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