Taurasi to Sit Out WNBA Season; Should Force League to Action

Diana Taurasi will sit out the upcoming WNBA Season.

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  Diana Taurasi made news this week by announcing she wouldn't be suiting up for the WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury for the 2015 season.

  Instead, she is going to rest. But here's the catcher, she's still going to get paid -- by her Russian team, UMMC-Ekaterinburg

  During the WNBA's off-season (which happens to be twice as long as the four-month summer season), Taurasi, like many women's players go overseas to earn a living.

  To protect their investment (UMMC is reportedly paying Taurasi $1.5 million this season) and secure Taurasi for the following season, the Russian club offered to pay her to sit out the 2015 WNBA season.

  Get paid to rest -- not a bad gig.

Two Leagues, Year-Round Seasons
  To be honest, I'm surprised Taurasi/UMMC is the first instance of this happening. The best players in the world play year round, between the WNBA and Europe, Asia or Australia.

  One full season overseas (September-May) is hard enough on your body. Remove the summer months to rest, recover and rejuvenate? I don't know how they do it for an entire year.

  Taurasi has played 10 year-round seasons. That's a lot of wear and tear to put on an aging body, in a cutthroat, short-lived profession.

  I look at what Taurasi has done for 10 consecutive years and say she's made a sacrifice. To play year-round, at the highest level, puts an amazing toll on your body. My body wouldn't have held up for one year-round season, let alone 10.

  This is where I get to why.

Why Play?

Taurasi was the league's MVP in 2009, & two-time Finals MVP.

  Why has she sacrificed? Why do players like Diana Tauarsi, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, et al play in the WNBA, when financially it might not make sense? It's not for the money or the glamour of the WNBA. They sacrifice to help the league maintain and (hopefully) grow.

  First, to have the opportunity to play professionally at 'home' has to be an incredible feeling. It's something I was never able to do.

  Secondly, and what I think is most-important, is that they don't want the WNBA to fail.

  Players feel an obligation to the opportunity. The WNBA hasn't always been around, and players want it to succeed. In order for it to succeed, the best players need to be on the court.

  We are just now at the tail end of players' careers who remember a time when there was no WNBA. When there was no viable opportunity to play professionally in the US.

  The the Tamika Catchings, Sue Birds, Diana Taurasis, the Deanna Nolans.

  As we get further away from that generation, there might become a time when the league is taken for granted. When players assume the league has always been here, and will always be here.

  It wouldn't shock me to see more players sit out WNBA seasons to allow their bodies and minds recover from the longer, more financially rewarding overseas seasons. Especially as the younger generation asserts itself.

Moore is one of the top young talents in the league.

  Point blank, it looks bad for the league to have one of its top five players be paid more NOT to play.

  And I don't blame Taurasi. A basketball career is finite, and she's trying to make the most of it financially.

  But it could become a turning point.

Danger Zone?
  Here's what needs to happen -- somehow, someway -- the WNBA needs to find a way for this not to become a trend. Otherwise, they'll be in danger of becoming a second-tier league, or worse, obsolete.

  The players who have sacrificed to help the league, that's still in its infancy, grow, need to see the support from the WNBA in return.

  The WNBA has league maximum and league minimum salaries -- for both veterans and rookies.

  In 2013, the minimum salary for rookies was $35,190. The league's top four drafted players earned at maximum $48,470. Every other rookie, earned between 35k and 48k.

Maya Moore plays WNBA off-seasons in China.

  The minimum salary for a player with three-plus years of experience was $55,000 while the maximum salary for a six-plus year player was $107,000.

  Based on her 10 years of experience, Taurasi is at the 107k maximum. Again, her contract with UMMC is $1.5 million. (Keep in mind, most overseas salaries reported are post-tax earnings, while WNBA are pre-tax.)

  You do the math; what would you do?

LeBron vs. Steve Blake Analogy
  While the WNBA pay scale is a nice idea, it doesn't make sense.

  A 10-year veteran role player, should not earn the same salary as Diana Taurasi --a three-time WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, three-time Gold Medalist, etc). Why? Because she doesn't bring the same value to the franchise, nor to the league.

  I'll give you an NBA comparison to make it more obvious: Should LeBron James and Steve Blake earn the same salary? (I bet even Steve Blake would say 'of course not!')

  Currently, they're both in their 12th NBA season. So under the WNBA's pay scale, they would earn the same salary. Instead, this season LeBron will earn $20.6 million from the Cavs, while Blake will earn $2.1 million from the Trail Blazers. Seems comparable for what they bring to their teams and to the NBA.

  I'm not here to compare and argue NBA vs. WNBA salaries. They're different animals, and cannot be compared. But if the WNBA is to remain relevant in the women's basketball world, the powers that be must come up with a solution to compensate, and keep its best/most-visible players on their court.

The only uniform you'll see Taurasi in during 2015.

Franchise Tag Solution?
  Franchise tags are used in the NFL, but in a different manner than what I would be suggesting. In this instance, franchise tag means superstar.

  Each of the 12 WNBA teams should be allowed two (?) franchise tags. Teams can then pay those players whatever they deem fair, and either the league raises the salary cap, or franchise tags do not apply towards the salary cap. (The current salary cap for WNBA teams is $913,000.)

  The number of players who garner the Taurasi-types of salaries overseas are very few. Likewise, the number of players who the WNBA should tag as superstars should be just as few. In fact, allowing 24 franchise tags for the entire league might be too many. But that's not for me to decide.

  This is a solution I came up with in 20-minutes, give-or-take a few. There are many other options, and there are people much smarter than I who should be working to find a solution.

  Because as it stands right now, the WNBA needs its superstars exponentially more than they need the WNBA. I certainly don't want to witness the league's demise, but whatever their solution, the WNBA better be working on it ASAP.

LINKS:

WNBA Salaries 2013 Season

Would You Say That to Your Daughter?

Playing days in Sweden (2010-2011).

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  This week, a guy I don't know all-that-well, but respect a great deal -- for his work promoting women's athletics, and women's basketball more specifically -- made an important post on his Facebook page. He'd had enough -- of the constant snide remarks disparaging women's hoops and its athletes, and the lack of acknowledgement.

  I 'liked' his post, and commented on it. A few days passed, and I found myself thinking more about what he had said while I was running on the treadmill.

  I felt I needed to add something.

  But before we get to my thoughts, here's the post, in full, from Ben York:

WARNING: I’m getting on my soapbox…I don’t know where else to post this, so here we go.

I’m a women’s basketball guy. Always have been.

Some people like women’s basketball; others don’t.

I get it. And – trust me – I’ve heard every reason why. (I could get on an entirely new soapbox here, but that’s for another day. Maybe.)

The WNBA announced today that Magic Johnson (and other investors) purchased the Los Angeles Sparks to keep them in LA. Obviously, this is huge news for the league and women’s basketball fans in general (at least, it should be). Not only will this generate substantial awareness for the league, the business acumen of the ownership group has every intention of increasing profitability and long term staying power. Having a successful and thriving franchise in a major market like LA makes the WNBA better.

To be frank, though, what pisses me off are the people who continue to enthusiastically and consciously dismiss the WNBA as second-rate or “less than” while subsequently ignoring centuries of stereotypes and dogmas that promote women as inferior.

We aren’t asking you to love the WNBA. We don’t even need a ton of recognition. At this point, whether it is fair or not, a simple mention of scores or highlights (no matter the outlet) makes us giddy.

Acknowledgement, however, is another story.

This was most recently evidenced by the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl. Nearly every major media reported that it was the city’s first major championship since 1979, ignoring the Seattle Storm’s championships in 2004 and 2010.

Maddening, but if I’m honest, nothing new.

Yet, perhaps the most infuriating aspect of the so-called “debate” has been the response by detractors to completely disregard the league. As the brilliant Mechelle Voepel stated recently, the WNBA isn’t pretending (or even trying) to be one of the four major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL).

Nevertheless, it DOES feature the absolute best women’s basketball players in the world. It DOES set a tremendously empowering example for young women. It still can be improved, but it DOES represent the fundamental equality and opportunity that we ALL deserve. And in spite of the misdirected venom that is routinely spewed, it DOES continue to grow in attendance, ratings and sustainability.

To me, that’s pretty amazing.

Ultimately, I don’t know if things will change. I don’t know if the misogyny (don’t kid yourselves; it absolutely exists) will improve. I hope it does.

I’ll close with this: many players don’t have to play in the WNBA from a financial basis. That is to say, they do it because they care about what the league – in its truest form – stands for.

I respect the hell out of that.

Twenty years from now, I hope an eight-year-old young woman still sees one of her favorite WNBA players on ESPN and sets a tangible goal to make a living playing basketball professionally.

She deserves it.

/gets off soapbox

My nieces, Stella & Sadie, playing earlier this year.

Add R-E-S-P-E-C-T
  I'll see Ben's 'acknowledgement', and add respect.

  If you've ever read a comment section of a women's basketball article online, you know it can be an ugly place. It seems the comment 'who cares' never fails to appear. Many times, however, it goes much further than that.

  Or we've all been in a room, where women's basketball (or any women's sport for that matter) is brought up, and similar sentiment is repeated.

  I've done my best over the years to ignore those comments, but I've always found them disheartening. I've never really understood people who take the time out of their day to specifically diss women's basketball, or female athletes in general.

  And why is it acceptable?

Imagine You're Talking to Your Daughter
  Like Ben, I understand, women's athletics is not for everyone. You're either a fan, or you're not. I've found the only time someone converts to women's basketball fandom, after never having cared for the sport, is after they have a daughter.

  To those who have ever said, 'it doesn't matter, it's *just* women's basketball' (or something equally disrespectful), I have this to say to you: imagine you're talking to your daughter, or your niece, or your sister, or your girlfriend. Would you ever discredit, disrespect, disparage, or take away from what she is doing then?

  Girls playing sports is hugely beneficial --  to her psyche, her confidence, and I think, to our society in general. Strong, confident women; that's a good thing, isn't it?

  And equally important is girls having female role models to look up to. Why would we tear them down?

I looked up to Tamika Catchings in HS, & was thrilled to meet her. ('99)

Stopping the Disrespect
  Growing up, I was lucky enough to train on a daily basis with the best players in the Portland area, both boys and girls. We trained together, we played with each other, we competed against each other, and we worked our tails off together. But we respected each other as well.

  On a regular basis, pros or NCAA stars would come in to train alongside us. Our new training partners probably came in thinking 'who are these high school kids, and why am I training with them?'  Some of them most-definitely thought, 'why am I working out with girls?'

  Their first training sessions with us always went the same: our trainer would have us do the drills/competitions he knew we (the high school kids), and maybe specifically, us girls, would succeed in. And more often than not, the visiting stars would come up short against us in those competitions and drills.

  Immediately, that changed the perspective of our visitors. Those drills alone, gave us the respect we desired.

  In turn, it made our training sessions that much better. And probably made us all -- boys, girls, and visiting stars alike -- better players in the long run.

  We, the girls, found a way to earn respect on the court.

  Off the court, the respect isn't going to magically appear. But I don't know how we've allowed the constant disrespect to continue for so long. And we shouldn't allow it to go on.

  Here's your challenge, the next time your hear someone say 'who cares, it's just women's basketball', call them out on it. Ask them if they'd ever say that to their daughter. Or if they want their daughters to grow up having athletes as role models.

  It matters.

  Because like Ben, I too hope that in 20 years, that eight-year-old young lady sees her favorite player on TV and wants to grow up and be just like her.

Brittney Griner to the NBA: An Unnecessary Discussion

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**Originally appeared on SLAM Online April 10th, 2013**
  Several months ago we had the lower rims debate. Now we have Brittney Griner to the NBA making headlines. I guess I should be happy that women's basketball is giving people something to talk about. But outlandish stories aren't the discussions we should be having about women's hoops.

  Some say, any talk is progress. I'm not willing to go there just yet.

  Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, stated last week that he'd give the 6'8" Baylor star a shot at making his team. He said, 'If she is the best on the board, I will take her.'

  Griner tweeted back, 'I would hold my own! Lets do it.' I don't blame her for responding, she believes in herself. But Cuban really doesn't deserve a response.

  Let's take his comments for what they really are: a PR stunt. He wants attention, and he wants the hoopla to follow Griner to the NBA summer league, where she would potentially first play.

  All that's happened since Cuban's attention-seeking comments, is the disparaging of Griner and her talents. And with that, criticism of women's basketball in general.

  I don't mean to doubt Griner's abilities, but this isn't the rec. The NBA is the highest level of basketball in the world. The best. The biggest, strongest, quickest, most versatile athletes in the world.

  I know how tough it is just playing against guys at the rec. 

  In the men's game, Griner's talents don't transfer over. What makes her special in the women's game would not be a factor against men. Size, athleticism, strength, speed, length, quickness.

  Against women, she's a 6'8" dominant center. In the majority of her games while at Baylor, she had an enormous size advantage. And then on top of that, she has phenomenal athleticism unseen in a 6'8" woman. Put those two things together, and you have a defensive stopper who controls the paint, and a presence in the post offensively who demands a double (triple?) team every time she touches the ball.

  Against men, she's a small forward (maybe a power forward, but that'd be a stretch). I've seen Brittney Griner play, nothing about her game says small forward.

  That's the obvious argument.

  But now, instead of praising and celebrating a talent the women's game has never seen, this has turned into a diss -- for lack of a better term. It's me, and everyone else who is having this conversation, saying what Griner is not. Putting her down, and saying why she wouldn't succeed.

  Instead, we should appreciate and celebrate her talents for what they are.

  What I should be saying is this: stop comparing. Respect the women's game for what it is. It's a separate sport. Simple as that. 

  We don't need to say that women should/could compete with men. It's not cutting-edge. It's not an enlightened way to think. It's unnecessary.

  In what other sport do they talk about women competing against men? Did anyone ever talk about Mia Hamm competing for the US Olympic Men's soccer team?

  Brittney Griner is an enormously talented basketball player. And she is a dominant physical presence. She is a game changer. Let her be just that.

  Is it a compliment to ask if can she play in the NBA? Yes, of course! But don't take the conversation any further than that. Because once we do, that's when the the compliments stop.  

International Game Appreciation

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**Originally appeared on SLAM Online February 26th, 2013**

  If you're a basketball fan, it's safe to say you've seen an NBA game, an NCAA game, and a FIBA game (the Olympics, or maybe a EuroLeague game?).

  And while you may know the ins and outs of your league, the foreign game may remain somewhat of a mystery. Maybe it frustrates you to watch, or you don't understand the intricacies or strategies of the game.

  That's perfectly normal because basketball played internationally (FIBA), and basketball played in the US are drastically different. Sometimes the differences lie in the rules. While other times, differences are a reflection of the way the game is taught.

RULE BOOK

  Rule differences are the easiest to point out. They're obvious, and can be seen across the board. These rules are not up for discussion, or up to a referee, or coach's opinion.

Time outs

  In the international game, players and coaches cannot call a timeout while the ball is in live play. Only when the ball is dead (out of bounds, made basket, foul call, travel call, etc), can the coach, and only the coach, ask for a timeout.

  A player can never call a timeout in FIBA. This removes the bail out/emergency timeout we see so frequently in the US.

 

Team Fouls/Bonus

  Team foul rules are the same in the NBA as they are in FIBA: teams are in the bonus, and awarded two foul shots, on the fifth team foul of each quarter.

  It differs in the NCAA, where teams are in the 'one-and-one' (and awarded one foul shot, and if the shooter makes it, they receive a second free throw) on the seventh team foul of each half. Teams are then finally awarded two shots on the tenth team foul of the half.

Quarter/Game length

  Four 10-minute quarters in FIBA (and the WNBA). Two 20-minute halves in the NCAA. Four 12-minute quarters in the NBA.

REFEREEING POINTS OF EMPHASIS

  This is where the two games are most divergent, in my opinion. And where the misunderstanding can come into play. It can make the American fan frustrated watching the FIBA game, and the international fan frustrated watching the American game.

  Some rules are subjective, and dependent upon, either the points of view of each referee, or the points of emphasis of the leagues. 

Traveling

  Across the board, the travel call is the biggest point of discussion. Americans think Europeans travel all the time. And Europeans think Americans travel all the time.

  Why, you ask? There are two very different points of emphasis in the international game versus the game in the US.

  In the NBA and NCAA, the focus is on the number of steps taken after the dribble is picked up. Whereas in FIBA, the focus is on whether the ball was put down immediately before taking a step.

  During the Olympics, one of the most overwhelming things you will hear from international fans is how much LeBron James travels. They see him take two steps (or sometimes more!) before he puts the ball down in transition, and think it's obvious. Yet Americans don't really get why they're complaining.

  What happens when Americans go abroad? They are called for countless travels because they don't put the ball down fast enough before taking their first step (something I can attest to).

  It took me half of my rookie year in Italy to figure out how to not get called for traveling on drives to the basket. And the first time I did it, I almost stopped for celebration. There are still occasions when I get caught (actually happened in my most recent game), but it doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to!

  And what about when Europeans go to play in the US? They're called for travels as they finish a drive with too many steps (I think this is seen more often in college than in the NBA). Just as I had difficulty adjusting, many Europeans who play collegiately have a difficult time adjusting to the new emphasis. 

  Another cause for this travel deviation is the way we are coached as kids. Americans are taught to have a big first step. It's stressed over and over. Have a quick, as-big-as-you-can-make-it, first step.

  You can't have a big first step in Europe. When you lunge out as far as you can, you're essentially dragging your pivot foot, and you haven't put the ball down to dribble. They call that a travel every time.

Foul calls

  Over the course of my 10 years in Europe, I've learned a few things about what referees will, and will not call.

  Defensively, if you slap down on the ball, it's always a foul. No matter if you touch your opponent or not. If you want to go for a steal, slap upward.

  Similarly, referees will rarely call a hook, or an offensive foul, for clearing the defender out -- no matter how obvious it is. I can't tell you how many times I've thought they were going to call it, only to have the foul go against the me (the defender).

           

Strategy

  Again, over the course of my 10 years in Europe, some things have stood out to me, strategically speaking, as well.

  In my opinion, running a fast break in Europe resembles soccer strategy more often than not. Coaches stress getting the ball to one side of the floor immediately, and then attacking. Whereas in the US, players are taught to get the ball to the middle of the floor.

  I don't find the European strategy to be very effective. Moving the ball to one side of the floor too early, lets the defense off the hook far too quickly. 

  The International game is more guard/perimeter oriented. This is the one case where I think the US/NBA is becoming more like the European game. Gone are the days of dominant big men controlling the game. In today's NBA, just as in Europe, guards and perimeter players are the game's best players, and dominate the ball offensively.

IN SOME WAYS, GROWING MORE SIMILAR

  In certain areas, the International and American games are becoming more and more similar. There used to be physical differences on the court (trapezoid lanes versus rectangle lanes), but FIBA recently made the change to rectangular lanes to match the American game.

  FIBA has also recently implemented advancing the ball to half court after timeouts in end of game situations. This allows finishes to be a little more exciting, and buzzer-beaters to occur more frequently.

  I can't go into every single detail, but various other rule changes have been made that make the FIBA and American games more similar (shot clocks, jump balls, restricted area/arc).

  While basketball is basketball no matter where it's played, differences still, have to be expected. Especially when there are different governing bodies.

  Frustration may remain (I never get less frustrated with getting called, for what I still see as a non-travel), but understanding game differences at least allows for a broader perspective. So the next time you find yourself hollering about a LeBron or Ginobli travel, keep in mind where they grew up playing the game (and what's written across their jerseys -- USA/Cavs or Argentina/Spurs)!

Shorter Hems for Women's Hoopsters?

France: Dresses for uniforms.

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**Originally appeared on SLAM Online April 4th, 2012**
  As a kid, the day you got your uniform was always one of the best days of the basketball season. You remember YMCA ball: when you got to put on your bright purple t-shirt for the first time.

  And as you got older, that day didn't lose any of its luster, as the uniforms usually got better and better with each passing year. Maybe you got to pick out your number that day too. But uniform day was exciting for another reason as well: the 'real' season was about to get underway.

  Even as a professional, uniform day is still one of the best. There's nothing like getting your gear, and donning it for the first time.

  As of late however, in Europe, uniform day is slowly turning into a nightmare for us ladies.

  Sponsors and the almighty dollar (or Euro, in this case) have always ruled. What they say goes. 

  Sponsors pay the bills after all, so it's understandable. If they want you at a dinner, you're there. If they want you at a community event, you're there. If they want you out shaking hands, there you are, shaking hands. And if they want you in tight shorts on the court, unfortunately for you, you'll be in tight shorts on the court.

  I was made aware of this my rookie season in Italy. After putting on my uniform shorts for the first time for Pool Comense, I immediately asked our manager if they had anything larger. The pair I had tried on, fit more like a pair of running shorts, or soccer shorts. I definitely hadn't worn a pair of basketball shorts THAT short since I was a youngster.

  Our manager smiled at me and said, 'the sponsors want the uniforms to show more of your bodies,' as she made a figure-outlining motion with her hands. I laughed it off, said ok, and wore the shorts I was given. 

  I never got used to them, as I tried stretching them out before each and every game, and probably wore them lower on my waist than I have ever worn a pair of shorts.

  That was my first season. Every year after that has been hit or miss in regards to uniforms. 

  Sometimes I've had the latest and greatest, Nike outfitted gear (that you can never complain about), and other times I've had lesser-known brands supply our uniforms. You roll with the punches, but I've always been given a basketball uniform.

  After this past year however, things are headed in the wrong direction. FIBA, the body that runs the highly-touted EuroLeague (among other competitions), recently enacted uniform regulations that ONLY applies to the women's league:

'The FIBA Europe prior to this season (2011-2012) accepted new regulations regarding uniforms in EuroLeague Women that state that shorts have to be at least 10 cm above the knee and there can be only two centimeters between the shorts and the skin.'

  They're regulating how long the shorts can be, and also how tight to the skin the shorts must be worn. 

  This begs the question: WHY?

  I'm not really sure what FIBA is trying to accomplish. If selling more tickets is a motivator, I'm curious, have attendance numbers increased since the uniform rule was instituted?

  As I mentioned before, sometimes the uniform requirements don't come from the leagues, but from individual team sponsors. In my nine professional seasons in Europe, I have played against a handful of teams who have worn dresses (including one this season).

  'Combi' uniforms (also called 'onesies' -- all spandex material you may have seen on the Australian National Team) have been adopted in various leagues around the world as well.

  But instances of the 'FIBA concept' of short/tight fitting uniforms are seemingly on the rise. In fact, the team I play for this season in France, is finalizing an equipment deal for next season that would put the team in such uniforms. 

  Maybe they're trying to put more femininity into the game? I, for one, don't think they look good. When I see players wearing these uniforms I think they no longer look like basketball players, and that they surely can't be comfortable. If the players aren't comfortable, I think it would only make their play suffer.

  Let's flip the script and say that all of a sudden, FIBA started mandating that the men play in ultra tight uniforms. Or took it a step further, and made them play shirtless. How would that go over? I know it would be met with HUGE uproar, and would quickly be overturned.

  If they're trying to make women's basketball 'sexy', they need to stop right there. Athletics are not meant to be sexy. People might say, look at tennis or volleyball uniforms! Fabulous. But tennis and volleyball players have been playing in those uniforms for decades.

  To quote FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann, "they are great athletes, but also beautiful athletes and there's no reason not to show it." No reason not to show 'it'. That statement has ZERO to do with the quality of basketball being played, and EVERYTHING to do sex-appeal.

  If I'm not mistaken, women's professional leagues have already tried, and failed, to use sex-appeal to promote the popularity of the sport. In early professional leagues in the US, women wore 'combi' uniforms. Those leagues quickly folded.

  Fans aren't interested in how tight the uniforms are worn. They are interested in watching high quality, entertaining basketball. That's it. There are countless other arenas of entertainment to get 'sexy' in the world. Let's keep that motivation out of basketball.

  One player, Diana Taurasi, refused to wear FIBA's tight-fitting uniforms this season, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of fines. For every EuroLeague Women game Taurasi played in, disobeying the new uniform rules, she was fined 2,000 Euro ($2,600). 

  Taurasi's team, Galatasaray of Turkey, played 18 EuroLeague games; equaling fines amounting to 36,000 Euro ($47,000). It's been reported that FIBA didn't fine her the full amount, but either way, it's a pretty expensive stance to be taking.

  I applaud Taurasi for standing up to FIBA, and letting them know her feelings. She was quoted in lovewomensbasketball.com in February as saying, 'They want to make basketball sexy, but basketball isn’t sexy, it’s a sport...The uniforms are cultural and we have been playing in them for years, that will not change. If you want sexy uniforms, go read Playboy.'

  Here's another reason I take issue with 'non-traditional' uniforms: the majority of European teams are run strictly by men. From the President, to the coach, on down to the board members. I've had one woman coach, and one woman in management in nine seasons. In addition, every single referee is a man (I think I remember having one woman referee since I've been playing in Europe). I'm also willing to bet that FIBA doesn't have many female representatives on staff.

  So I guess you can say it's a man's world, and women are just playing in it.

  Finally, it's not about 'do I look good in this uniform?' Or 'you're a beautiful woman, you should have no problem showing off your body'. Or having confidence in your body. It's that these uniforms are objectifying to a large degree (not to mention uncomfortable).

  Basketball should never be about gender. When I'm on the court, it's not about being a woman or worrying about being 'feminine enough'. On the court, I'm a basketball player first. A woman second. Off the court, those roles are reversed.

  I've always been excited to put on my uniform come game day. But put me in a tennis dress, a skirt, or a tight fitting uniform, and I suddenly don't feel like a basketball player anymore.

  For me, it's always been about being an athlete, and playing the game well. Maybe fans' thoughts are different than mine. But isn't the object of professional basketball to play the game, and to play it to the best of your abilities?

  Hopefully FIBA (and sponsors, for that matter) listens to its players, and realizes they've made a mistake. Their sole motivation should be improving the quality of the game, and increasing the popularity of women's basketball in that manner, not objectifying its players with ridiculous uniforms.

Expect the Unexpected

Comense: Italian Champs 2004.

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**Originally appeared on SLAM Online March 8th, 2012**
  If there's one trait you need to play for an extended stretch overseas - and not go loony -it's the ability to adjust on the fly. You have got to be able to roll with the punches. I might go as far to say: expect the unexpected. Even then, you're bound to have a surprise or two.

  From year to year, team to team, things are never the same. What may have been the norm for one club, might be unheard of for another. Any previous assumptions should be thrown out the window when you go into a new season.

  And if you're coming straight from college, toss those US-norms even further out the window. 

  What am I talking about?

  Living arrangements, practice schedules, roommates' habits, team routines, language barriers, gym/arena problems, travel/hotel accommodations, payment issues, media/fan critique, the list goes on and on! No one thing can be taken for granted.

The Moment of Truth
  Year to year, you never know what you're going to get when you walk into your apartment for the first time. I always say to myself, if I wouldn't live in it in the US, it's not acceptable to live in while in Europe either. I think clubs try to take advantage of inexperienced players sometimes, and try to get away with less-than-stellar apartments.

  On two occasions, in my nine seasons abroad, I've had to ask to be moved to a hotel until they found something more suitable. First and second year players might be hesitant to speak up when living arrangements aren't up to par. But in reality, if you're not happy off the court, your production on the court will suffer.

  But at the same time, you need to keep in mind what reality is. The US and Europe are vastly different places, so your expectations need to reflect those differences.

  And depending on the club, they may or may not ask you to live with teammates. Whatever your preference may be, that could be a good or a bad thing. I have always preferred to live by myself while in Europe, but I've had roommates on several occasions as well.

  Now what about on the court?

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
  First and foremost, your coach and/or teammates might not speak English. If they do, great -- you're good to go! But if they don't, you have to be ready to watch and learn. During drills you might need to go to the end of the line, so you know exactly what's going on when it's your turn.

  You learn by observing. And you'd be amazed at how quickly you pick up basketball terms. That's always a great moment when you're able to understand your coach's instructions without having to go to the end of the line.

  You also need to make quick-friends with someone who will translate for you. I've had great teammates throughout the years who have had the patience to translate pre-game talks, practice rants, and day-to-day communication with coaches or presidents. You really can't make it without them!

  I'm sure many of you have seen the movie Love and Basketball. The locker room scene in Spain is actually somewhat realistic -- where Monica relies on a teammate to translate her coach's pre-game speech. Although 'he say to give the ball to you' might be a SLIGHT exaggeration!

  One thing I had no problem adjusting to was learning the that phrase 'get on the baseline' (in whatever language), was no-longer cause for a panic-attack. Anyone who's run countless suicides during practice can appreciate that! Throughout my time in Europe, I haven't had to run too many suicides -- which has been a welcomed change.

Home Court Advantage
  The gyms can be cause for concern at times as well. There might be days where there's no heat in the gym when you arrive for practice or a game. It might be 50 degrees inside the gym, but guess what, you still have to play!

  My first season in Italy, we played in Napoli in December or January. Since it's in the south of Italy, and there's really only one 'cold' month, the gym didn't have much of  a heating system. The host team had blankets on their bench so they were prepared. But I certainly wasn't. My hands were like icicles, and I was stiff, and miserable the whole game.

  This season in France, the heat in our gym is hit or miss. Some days it's there, some days it's not. You just have to come prepared.

  I learned by my fourth season abroad, in Poland, to have long tights and long sleeves to practice in -- just in case. But I'm always happy when I don't need them!

Plane, Train, or Automobile
  Another thing you need to be ready to adjust to is how your team travels to away games. Depending on the country and club, you could see anything. You could have the best/fastest scenario: taking a plane. Or you can have the worst: taking 12-hour bus rides.

  The most difficult travel situation I've had to adjust to was while I played in Germany. We would ALWAYS travel the day of the game. No matter how far we had to travel. Eight-hour bus rides on the day of the game made for an interesting time. It's not your preference. But guess what, you adjust and learn to deal with it. It's amazing that we actually won some of those games!

No Pay, No Play
  Probably the most important adjustment is learning how to handle late payments. If you play long enough, they're bound to happen. With the exception of one or two seasons (thankfully I can include this season in that list), I have had clubs not pay me on time at some point.

  There can be numerous reasons as to why you're not getting paid on time: president is unhappy with your team's performance, sponsors/city are late giving the club funds, they don't have the money, paperwork/accounting issues. Whatever the reasons, you're never happy when payday has passed, and you haven't seen your check.

  None of those reasons are good reasons, but it's what might happen. And how you respond can vary a great deal. It might depend on the club's reputation, your working relationship with management, your own previous experiences, economic climate, etc.

  It's not unheard of to sit out practice if a team is late paying you. After all, you're there for a reason: you're there to play basketball and get paid for it. When the money's not there, you don't play. Some people have the motto: 'No pay, no play.'

  If management is up front with you (in cases where sponsors are late providing funds), and they have shown you can trust them, you might give them a little leeway. But if they get too far behind (and that's at your discretion), you have to put your foot down. Otherwise you are getting taken advantage of.

  Imagine your employer missing your payday! How long would you stand for that?

  In my opinion, it's never okay for a team to withhold your payment because of lost games or poor performances on the court. But it happens (it happened to me on two or three occasions -- and each time, I handled it differently).

  Sometimes the situations can be pretty complicated, and vary a great deal depending on each scenario. Payments/late payments seem to be what people are most-interested in hearing about, so if the interest is there, I'll do a follow up with more in-depth situations.

You Can't Please Everyone
  Smaller issues such as: dealing with fan/media critique after poor performances (they can be very blunt), sometimes not having a trainer present at practice (makes things interesting if there's an injury), less-than-standard hotel stays, not being able to get a phone/internet put in your apartment for three-plus weeks -- can also arise at some point during your time overseas. You just have to try to not let it bother you, and move on.

  All in all, you need to pick your battles -- because you're not going to get everything exactly how you want. What is TRULY important to you? Those are the things you need to speak up about, and demand to have taken care of. Do your best to remain professional, and remember what you are there to do.

  To be as successful as you possibly can, you have to be able to roll with the punches, and do what you do best: hoop!

The Ins and Outs of Euro-Ball

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**Originally appeared on SLAM Online February 21st, 2012**

  I don't know how familiar many of you are with the how things work in world of European basketball, so I wanted to give you all a little background. The ins and outs, so-to-speak.

  With the influx of international stars into the NBA/WNBA in the last decade, and then with the lockout this year, European basketball is suddenly more visible in the States. But just because it's more visible, doesn't mean we understand it any better. So hopefully I can answer some questions you may have!

  Unless I specifically say otherwise, this is how things work in both men's and women's hoops in Europe (from my experience!). And generally speaking, each country works the same, with the exception of a few rules here and there. (I'm speaking of the domestic leagues, not EuroLeague/EuroCup/etc which have a whole different set of rules.)

Professional Divisions 

  First and foremost, nearly EVERY country has multiple professional leagues, and they've been in existence for decades. What differentiates the leagues, is the budgets of the teams, and the number of foreigners each team is allowed to have.

Foreigners Allowed

  The number of foreigners is where you'll see the biggest difference in rules.

  On the women's side, the rule generally is that a team can have two or three foreigners on its roster. For example, I'm in France this season, so we have two non-French players (myself, and a Ukrainian) and the rest are French (or carry a French passport). I have had seasons where I have been the only foreigner (last season in Sweden, for example), and I have also been on a team with three other foreigners (also in Sweden, in 2008-09).

  The men's side is more complicated, and varies quite a bit more. Probably because stakes are higher, with larger salaries, bigger crowds, etc... In some countries (Germany and Belgium, off the top of my head), there is no limit to the number of foreigners a team can carry. But, there is a rule that at least five players on the roster must be domestic players. So in those countries, many times you'll see six or seven Americans scattered throughout team's rosters. 

  Other countries have rules about the number of domestic players that are required to be on the floor at all times. The rules are a bit controversial, and seem to be changing on a yearly basis, so it's all a little difficult to keep track of.

  The roster rules are in place mostly to ensure the development of the local talent. If every team could field an unlimited number of foreigners, the number of jobs for domestic players would drop across the board.

Team Funding 

  Secondly, how teams are funded is vastly different from how it's done in American professional sports. Salaries are paid by sponsorships for the most part. Which is why you see uniforms covered in logos and company names. It's also the reason why multi-year contracts are rare in Europe (you only see multi-year deals involving the biggest/richest clubs). 

  I have never signed a contact longer than one season. Since salaries are paid by sponsors, you never quite know, on a year-to-year basis, what a team's budget will be. So you don't want to tie yourself to a situation where a team may not be able to pay your salary. Clubs many times, are partially funded by city subsidies as well.  

Domestic Leagues vs. International Leagues

  If a team plays only in their domestic league, they'll play a game just once a week, for the most part (on the weekend). And they'll only play games within their country (so my team this year plays only on Saturdays, and only against other French teams).

  Four or five teams per league can also play in outside/International leagues (EuroLeague, EuroCup, EuroChallenge, etc). In those cases, teams will have games during the week, on top of their domestic league games. International games are usually reserved for weekdays, either Tuesday or Wednesday in most cases. 

  All the leagues are separate entities, and a team's win-loss record in one league has no bearing on the other.

Agents 

  Now how do you go about finding a team, and securing a contract in Europe? That's one aspect that is the same as American professional sports. The best way to find a team is to sign with a quality agent. They'll contact teams, negotiate for you, and hopefully find the best possible situation for you, both on and off the court.

  I no longer have an agent, however. Since I have been overseas for almost 10 years, I have developed numerous relationships and connections along the way. My last three jobs have come about because of prior relationships, through former teammates, coaches, and the like. 

  Both ways have worked out just fine for me.

What's in a Contract?

  Finally, you might wonder what a run-of-the-mill contract get you. 

  Most-importantly, you get a furnished apartment to live. Many times, a car is also a part of your contract (though you must pay for the gas of course). It's also commonplace to have at least two round-trip plane tickets as part of the deal (so you can go home at Christmas). 

  I've also had it in various contracts that I am provided with one meal a day from a local restaurant, or given a food stipend on a monthly basis. 

  You're also provided with health insurance, which as we know is a huge perk! And of course, your payment schedule should be included! 

  There can be other things, based on your needs (if you have a family, for example), but that's what a barebones contract will get you in Europe.

  Hopefully I've answered the basic questions that many of you might have about Euro-hoops. If you are curious about anything else, or want further explanation, don't hesitate to ask!