Marine Johannes became the fourth French WNBA player to announce her decision to skip the EuroBasket tournament this year and stay in the league on Wednesday, May 21, when she shared the news in her Instagram Story — a departure from previous years in which European athletes have more freely traveled to the continent to represent their home countries. There are a few changes in the WNBA that might have spurred the decisions made by Johannes and others, but one is a little bigger than the rest: the upcoming CBA changes.
Johannes is one of four French players who have opted to remain in the WNBA all summer (the others are Carla Leite from the Golden State Valkryies and Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga, both of the Seattle Storm). The Valkyries' Julie Vanloo, who is from Belgium, has also spoken about the current dynamic and what it might mean for herself and others.
While speaking to the French-language outlet DH Les Sports+ in an interview published Saturday, Vanloo acknowledged the dynamic and revealed she isn't quite sure what she will do yet — and that the WNBA might force her hand.
The WNBA wants players to stay in the United States
For completely understandable reasons, WNBA teams are very likely hoping their athletes will remain in the United States for the duration of the season — after all, that's what they're being paid to do, fans are attending games to see these athletes on the court, and losing key players in the middle of June will be tough.
Some teams, like the Golden State Valkyries, could potentially lose a chunk of the team's roster if they all decided to compete in EuroBasket. This would be disruptive and potentially detrimental to the team's chemistry, especially since the tournament begins June 18, just days after the Commissioner's Cup.
Vanloo admitted to the outlet that she isn't sure what decision she will make this year. The decision will "be different for everyone," she explained, and will be impacted by "our WNBA schedule, our role on the team, our fitness, and the club's flexibility." The decision is a difficult one to make, she continued, and "the Valkyries aren't very keen on letting us go."
The players can't be banned from playing for their countries, but "they can threaten to trade us if we go with the national team," Vanloo also said.
How the CBA negotiations could keep European players in the US
The WNBA players' union will begin renegotiating the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league after the current CBA expires in October. The negotiations are expected to have a wide-ranging impact on the league, and are likely to result in increased salaries, equitable facilities and rehab centers for each team, improved maternity-related support and care, and more. European players might be opting to skip EuroBasket this year in part because of the benefits they can receive by staying in the WNBA full-time this season ahead of these changes.
A lot can change between now and next year, and it's possible FIBA will decide to move future EuroBasket tournaments to the WNBA offseason to avoid this problem in the future. For now, all WNBA and EuroLeague fans can do is hope things work out in a way that benefits everyone involved.