June 2024

Overview of Overseas Leagues

Welcome back to another edition of Dodson Diaries!

Update: I re-signed to return to play for my Spanish team (Lointek Gernika) next season. I look forward to spending a full season there!

As always, thank you all for the continuous support of my newsletter. This month’s newsletter is going to be on the shorter side, but I hope that it is still interesting.

This month, I am writing an overview of leagues overseas.

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The other day at LA Fitness, I was getting ready for my training session in the locker room when an older woman approached me to ask a question. I don’t remember how the conversation started, but I will provide the usual conversation starter to help with the narrative, “You are tall you must play basketball.” As I proceeded to tell her how I play basketball overseas, she was genuinely shocked to hear that they had basketball leagues for women overseas or about the WNBA. What stuck with me was the utter amazement and excitement of hearing about what is possible for women now. She had been a Physical Education teacher for 30 years and could not believe she never knew any of this, I was slightly baffled as well, but it is easy to not hear about women’s sports when only 15% of the media covers it. After this interaction, I started thinking about how there is so much I did not know about the landscape of basketball overseas when I started. I am still learning as I prepare for my third season, but below is what I have learned so far:

What are the top leagues overseas?

The top leagues, in no particular order, are Turkey, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Australia, China, Israel, and Russia. The most competitive leagues overall, in my opinion, are Turkey, Spain, Italy, and France. Think of them as the equivalent of Power 5 Conferences in American collegiate athletics like the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference.

What countries often pay the most?

Even though a league might be the most competitive, these leagues do not automatically have the highest potential of earning the most. Russia, China, or Israel there can be the possibility to earn a lot of money along with Turkey. Liz Cambage, a once top player in the WNBA, signed a contract for $1 million to play 3 months in China recently and Brittney Griner went over to Russia because she could make $1 million annually. Even with the wars in Russia and Israel, I had offers to play in these countries next season. In Israel, I was offered a 20% increase in salary to play there. Some players are willing to take the risk due to the monetary compensation.

How long is the season?

The season is usually around 6-8 months, depending on the country. There are shorter seasons like in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Brazil for 3 months but these leagues are during the “off-season” and on average pay less. The off-season is roughly during the WNBA season which is May-September (not including playoffs that go to October). When I played in New Zealand, it was during this “off-season” period and the season was 3 months, but the league schedule has been changed.

Do you play against teams outside the country?

Most teams only play against teams in their country. However, Euroleague or Eurocup teams get to play against top teams in other countries along with their respective country’s league.

What is Euroleague or Eurocup?

Great question. I will try to explain, but it is confusing even to me. Euroleague and Eurocup are two different leagues. The Euroleague is seen as better than Eurocup and the first-tier league, but both leagues regardless have high-level teams and talent compared to the average. These leagues are like an “All-Star league” for the best teams. It is not uncommon to see WNBA players playing on these teams.

Only the top teams in respective countries can be a part of the league. Most teams are in Europe, but not necessarily. For example, the winner of the Euroleague championship was Fenerbahce, which is a Turkish team. The league is separate from the country league and overlaps at some points in the season. “Euro” games are often played during the week, so teams can play in their country’s league on the weekends. There can be Euroleague and Eurocup teams in the same league which is the case in Poland and Spain. My Spanish team last year was a Eurocup team, but my team did not make it to the playoffs, so it is unlikely we will be able to be Eurocup again this year. I think it is a requirement to keep your eligibility for these leagues to make it to the playoffs at least. However, I think financial considerations along with standing affect your ability to play in either of the leagues. London Lions were the Eurocup Champions last year, but will not be playing in Eurocup anymore due to cuts in spending. Due to teams like the London Lions being unable to participate next year, there can be a chance for my team to still stay in Eurocup.

How many Americans can be on a team?

There is a cap on how many Americans can be on a team. Usually, they only allow two Americans per team and only four foreigners in total. There are not as many spots overseas for Americans as you would think. I decided to do some math to help illustrate this point. Looking at the 2022-2023 Spanish season the average roster size was 11 players for a 16-team league. I estimated that 176 players played in the league that year. Out of the 176, only about 18% or 32 players can be Americans. A lot of people who I tell about this cap are astonished, and I do not blame them because I did not realize this rule until I went overseas. Overseas is often discussed as a place where jobs are plentiful. There are a lot more jobs available compared to in the WNBA, but it is not as fruitful as it is often advertised.

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I hope this newsletter gives you some overall knowledge of the overseas landscape. Since I am home, I have to be a bit more creative with coming up with topics to write about. If there is something you would like me to discuss please let me know!

Thank you for reading my newsletter. Until next month :)