Interesting read on how the WCBA is starting to lure more and more top players to come play in China.
16/10/2012
The Far East Movement
NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - A decade after inception, it appears the momentum of global talent gravitating towards the WCBA shows few signs of slowing down, or at least in terms of quality and diversity.
Traditionally the league has always attracted a carefully controlled share of 'foreign players', perhaps rather inevitably, almost exclusively American.
Headline names to have trodden the boards in the Chinese league are Ebony Hoffman and Swin Cash with a host of others such as Ruth Riley, Kara Braxton and Nicky Anosike for example - the list is actually relatively long now. There is also an American coach in the form of Bo Overton.
This trend shows little sign of slowing down with the stellar talented Maya Moore having penned a deal during the summer to play in China during the WNBA off-season, along with Australian Olympic sensation Elizabeth Cambage.
Then, only just last weekend, Belarus national team centre Yelena Leuchanka also opted to head to the WCBA too. Maybe something which both signals a potential shift in the widening appeal of women's basketball in China to those who don't hail from the USA and the willingness of the Chinese to look more broadly at who is available in the marketplace.
Throw in the fact that Spanish National Team coach and EuroLeague Women title winner Lucas Mondelo is also set to call the plays from the sidelines in China, and it would appear the WCBA is possibly becoming a stronger magnet for not only players, but also coaches.
Cynics are quick to question the motives of those heading to China. I am no expert, but I am guessing huge salaries in a handful of instances are the primary driver. Although I am also sure many involved so have a genuine thirst to experience a potential sensory overload off the court, and experience exciting new culture. Indeed several of the players who already have, or will soon play in China, have also played in the WKBL in Korea.
In terms of professional women's basketball in China generally, they continue to manage the same kind of delicate balance which many leagues (both men's and women's) have grappled with down the years. How do you raise the standard of the league both on the court and also as a product?
It's a tough one since too many import players can be damaging, and arguably, not enough import players can also be damaging. There are those who will also say that too much money is being squandered on a tiny number of elite level (and foreign) players and coaches.
But, to get a Liz Cambage, Maya Moore or Lucas Mondelo to turn down a competition like EuroLeague Women and play in a domestic league which whilst competitive, is simply not up to WNBA or continent-wide EuroLeague Women standard, you simply have to pay big bucks. There are some excellent homegrown players in the WCBA, but it will not prove anywhere near the same type of challenge.
I guess it's similar to what China is experiencing with men's soccer right now. If the money is there to pay big salaries, then they most probably will. The vital dimension is that China still has its' own stars to celebrate and plaster across advertising billboards right across the nation.
In terms of women's basketball, this stands up to scrutiny with MVP Lijie Miao continuing to be the 'Queen of the WCBA,' although the big question is whether her crown will continue to be taken by a Chinese player in future years?
For those 'foreigners' who head to China and turn down EuroLeague Women for example, some will say they are taking the money over the professional challenge. An easy thing to say when you are not the one having to refuse a lucrative contract I guess.
Which brings us to whether China can (and will) truly make inroads in luring more and more EuroLeague Women participants to their league. If (and it is a big if) the Chinese decide to open the floodgates and facilitate the playing of more and more import players, I wonder if, over the medium to long-term, there is any chance of EuroLeague Women suffering as a result.
I doubt it. It's probably wrong to compare a domestic league with a competition drawing clubs from across an entire continent, but in reality, both are competitors for the best players when the WNBA is not in season.
I am sure many of you will join me in watching how the next decade of the WCBA unfolds. It will be really, really intriguing to see what course women's basketball in China takes when it comes to 'foreign talent'.
It will also be important to get some feedback from those coaches and players who are about to, or have already tasted life in the WCBA.
I feel a research project coming on!
Paul Nilsen
FIBA
The Far East Movement
NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - A decade after inception, it appears the momentum of global talent gravitating towards the WCBA shows few signs of slowing down, or at least in terms of quality and diversity.
Traditionally the league has always attracted a carefully controlled share of 'foreign players', perhaps rather inevitably, almost exclusively American.
Headline names to have trodden the boards in the Chinese league are Ebony Hoffman and Swin Cash with a host of others such as Ruth Riley, Kara Braxton and Nicky Anosike for example - the list is actually relatively long now. There is also an American coach in the form of Bo Overton.
This trend shows little sign of slowing down with the stellar talented Maya Moore having penned a deal during the summer to play in China during the WNBA off-season, along with Australian Olympic sensation Elizabeth Cambage.
Then, only just last weekend, Belarus national team centre Yelena Leuchanka also opted to head to the WCBA too. Maybe something which both signals a potential shift in the widening appeal of women's basketball in China to those who don't hail from the USA and the willingness of the Chinese to look more broadly at who is available in the marketplace.
Throw in the fact that Spanish National Team coach and EuroLeague Women title winner Lucas Mondelo is also set to call the plays from the sidelines in China, and it would appear the WCBA is possibly becoming a stronger magnet for not only players, but also coaches.
Cynics are quick to question the motives of those heading to China. I am no expert, but I am guessing huge salaries in a handful of instances are the primary driver. Although I am also sure many involved so have a genuine thirst to experience a potential sensory overload off the court, and experience exciting new culture. Indeed several of the players who already have, or will soon play in China, have also played in the WKBL in Korea.
In terms of professional women's basketball in China generally, they continue to manage the same kind of delicate balance which many leagues (both men's and women's) have grappled with down the years. How do you raise the standard of the league both on the court and also as a product?
It's a tough one since too many import players can be damaging, and arguably, not enough import players can also be damaging. There are those who will also say that too much money is being squandered on a tiny number of elite level (and foreign) players and coaches.
But, to get a Liz Cambage, Maya Moore or Lucas Mondelo to turn down a competition like EuroLeague Women and play in a domestic league which whilst competitive, is simply not up to WNBA or continent-wide EuroLeague Women standard, you simply have to pay big bucks. There are some excellent homegrown players in the WCBA, but it will not prove anywhere near the same type of challenge.
I guess it's similar to what China is experiencing with men's soccer right now. If the money is there to pay big salaries, then they most probably will. The vital dimension is that China still has its' own stars to celebrate and plaster across advertising billboards right across the nation.
In terms of women's basketball, this stands up to scrutiny with MVP Lijie Miao continuing to be the 'Queen of the WCBA,' although the big question is whether her crown will continue to be taken by a Chinese player in future years?
For those 'foreigners' who head to China and turn down EuroLeague Women for example, some will say they are taking the money over the professional challenge. An easy thing to say when you are not the one having to refuse a lucrative contract I guess.
Which brings us to whether China can (and will) truly make inroads in luring more and more EuroLeague Women participants to their league. If (and it is a big if) the Chinese decide to open the floodgates and facilitate the playing of more and more import players, I wonder if, over the medium to long-term, there is any chance of EuroLeague Women suffering as a result.
I doubt it. It's probably wrong to compare a domestic league with a competition drawing clubs from across an entire continent, but in reality, both are competitors for the best players when the WNBA is not in season.
I am sure many of you will join me in watching how the next decade of the WCBA unfolds. It will be really, really intriguing to see what course women's basketball in China takes when it comes to 'foreign talent'.
It will also be important to get some feedback from those coaches and players who are about to, or have already tasted life in the WCBA.
I feel a research project coming on!
Paul Nilsen
FIBA
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