Imagine being just 21 or 22 years old and getting the job of your dreams. Apart from preparing for it every day, you’ve been dreaming about it, praying for it, manifesting it and finally… it happened. You are a WNBA player.
There are expectations, commercial flights, fatigue, more expectations, social media mockery and then, after a hectic five months, you’re at home, wondering what to do with your time until you get another go at it. There are seven months until the next season starts. A good time to pick up a new hobby or read those books you’ve always wanted to, right? Or maybe instead of putting down the rock, you move to Europe for the next couple of months so you can keep balling?
In much of women’s basketball discourse, playing in Europe is still described as a by-product of the inadequacies of the WNBA. Players must go overseas due to low salaries and a lack of roster spots in the W. Is that actually the case? Or, does playing in Europe offer players too-often overlooked benefits?
Without the possibility of moving to Europe and learning from experienced coaches and teammates, a bonafide international star like Yvonne Anderson would not play in the Olympics for Serbia—first in 2021 and for a second time this coming summer—or earn recognition as one…
