dˈaɪ wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn ʃæŋhˈaɪ, tʃˈaɪnə, wˌɛɹ ʃiː plˈeɪd sˈɛmaɪpɹəfˈɛʃənəl bˈæskɪtbˌɔːl bᵻfˌoːɹ mˈuːvɪŋ tə ðə jˌuːˈɛs æt ðɪ ˈeɪdʒ ʌv sˈɛvəntˌiːn.
Dai was born in Shanghai, China, where she played semi-professional basketball before moving to the US at the age of 17.