The pathway to and from Europe and the U.S. has always been a two-street for players in the WNBA. (Plenty of WNBA players have also spent time playing on teams in China, as well as in Turkey.) For a lot of American players, that pathway has traditionally been trod upon because they supplemented less-than-great WNBA salaries with the money they could make overseas. For Europeans, playing in the WNBA has offered a chance at playing in the most talented league in the world.
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), or more specifically, the new incomes that came along with, appears to be shifting this balance a little bit. More American players will now be able to afford to stay home during the WNBA offseason, and could even feel less pressure to play in leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, which are both based in the States. And European players may discover that, for the first time, they can make more money playing in the WNBA than they can at home.
As ESPN reported today, there are more players from Europle playing in the WNBA right now than ever before. The outlet noted that 32 players from 15 different countries are playing in the league — a group that represents almost 15% of the players in the W. And if that number continues to hold, it will be the most European players who have played in a WNBA season ever.
Coaches in the league also expect that players from other continents and countries will be playing in the WNBA more frequently going forward. Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said that she believes the jump is a "natural" part of the WNBA, and that it was something we saw in the NBA first.
The WNBA has always been a global league
Though there are some fans who might not believe it, the WNBA has been an international league since it was established in 1997. At the time, the league boasted a large number of Australians.
For decades, the WNBA's season has complemented that of European leagues, ESPN also noted. That's made it easier for players to travel back and forth. The new CBA might shift this dynamic, since the league has made it clear that they are open to extending the schedule in both directions — beginning the season earlier than it has in the past and ending the season later.
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