So you wanna play pro ball?
Well, I pray you all make it to the big stage of the WNBA. But most of you, like me, will come up short. I’m not out to crush anyone’s dreams but it’s a reality that you should prepare to face. The chances of being drafted by the WNBA is the lowest of any American professional league. I was drafted by the WNBA and never even got to try out. And truthfully I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t know what to do. And I want to make sure you don’t go through what I went through.
But just know that there are opportunities for you to have a successful career across the Atlantic in Europe, where I’ve been blessed to play for the last eight years in six different countries. And it’s been an eventful journey and I wish you the same.
The first step to reaching any goal is to clearly define what it is that you want, do you want to enjoy travel and play ball, make a lot of money, play for the top league, get stats to chase the WNBA?
What do YOU want exactly?
Research a few countries and see what places you could see yourself living in then figure out if the basketball is good there. If you need help with this step get a mentor before an agent! Remember most agents are in business and not necessarily looking to help you evolve or grow as an individual.
Agents in many cases are professional networkers. They also have knowledge that you as a rookie do not yet possess. So one way of getting abroad is to connect with an agent and have them market you to different teams.
Does the agent or agency have a network all around Europe or just in one country? Evaluate their client list and see where their players are located. This will give you an idea of the agent’s ability to place players in a variety of places. This also ensures the agent has relationships with different teams as well.
If you want the agent to help market you on and off the court for sponsorships and other career opportunities you should see if the agency can provide this type of service. If not this could mean they lack marketing skills when it comes to securing a contract for you instead of another player. You are competing against other rookies, vets, and WNBA/NBA players for a limited amount of roster spots. Marketing other assets you offer outside of your ability could give you an advantage.
Sometimes just getting in ya “bag” won’t secure the bag! Choose wisely!!!
My senior year I wasn’t sure where to find an agent. And 8 years later there is still nothing that effectively helps the athlete evaluate which agents they want to do business with. Some basic starting points would be to go onto FIBA.com and look over the certified agents and review their client list.
Like me, most athletes go to their coaches for guidance and are usually put in contact with an agent they have done work with or past players have signed to. However, many coaches aren’t taking the time to make sure the agent is right for you. Most American agents have European partners that will be doing most of the work for you abroad, so be sure to ask who their partners are and if you can possibly speak to them as well. If you aren’t really interested in the WNBA/NBA I would take the time to evaluate if you even need the American agent. European partners also have their own agencies, and the first priority is to sign their players. These agents have built stronger relationships with the teams abroad compared to the American partner. So if WNBA/NBA is not a priority I suggest giving the European agencies a look. Don’t be afraid of the language barrier many of them speak English and may simply take some patience on your end.
So, I advise you to connect with current players, explain what your goals are and see what agents they recommend.
Many agents will contact you directly via social media, or email. The best way to shuffle through them is to simply check if they are FIBA certified first, review their current client list and see if they have successfully signed those players to teams and evaluate what caliber of teams the players are signed too. This can be checked via Eurobasket.com
You also have the players that came before you! Connect with them and learn!!! I find it crazy how players from the same school end up with the same bad agent due to the vet not sharing their experiences! Please reach out to the vets and ensure the people you choose to do business with are in fact professional and are in it to help players!
The third option is pro-combines which in my opinion are a waste of money. Many and I mean many are sales pitches. What are they selling? The dream of playing pro. You’re better off buying a ticket overseas and going to practice with teams to build a reputation. Getting a job overseas is about network and exposure. If you are a low D1 or mid-major athlete you probably lack the exposure compared to a high D1 athlete that made it to the NCAA Combines sell the idea that you will gain exposure, however, very few European agents attend or validated scouts attend. I suggest getting your video together, doing a short video introducing yourself and who you are, and a highlight and contact teams directly along with agents you would like to represent you. Again, there are limited spots available being that some teams only allow 2–4 Americans per team which varies country to country. It will not be easy for those of you lacking high-level college. Nothing is though, you will just have to take actions into your own hands.
I made the mistake of leaving a prestigious school like Indiana University without a website, updated resume, logo, etc… Utilize the resources around you know to get a website and basic brand assets created. This can be your professional resume to start promoting yourself to teams but also potential sponsors.
Maybe you already have an agent so what’s next?
Research. Research. Research!
As of now, there is no real way to validate teams, agents, countries etc… again, contact players from the teams you are considering and ask them about their experiences. Push them to go deep. Many players, understandably, tend to sugar coat how things really are abroad.
Then get in the gym!!! Get with a trainer in your area that has experience working with other European players. Again, there is no validating process to know who can really help you but working with someone along those lines will prepare you for the game change.
Work on all aspects of your game! As an American, you are coming over to basically be a game changer! That doesn’t necessarily mean score 20 every game. It can mean scoring 10, but when the team needs it in crunch time; or locking down the other scorer on the opposite team! There are a number of roles you can play. But the key is to be the difference in the game. The main skill for sure is to be able to create for your teammates and yourself on the offensive end.
My first year I finished top in scoring in Israel. Yet teams wanted to see what I had to offer overall. Top teams don’t care if you were the league-leading scorer, they want to see you can read the game, defend, lead, AND be an offensive threat!
This is just the beginning of your pro journey! I could write a book on all the things you need to know to really succeed at the next level but some vets are in the process of making something so you all up next go further than we did. If you need more in-depth information please do connect with me via Instagram, Twitter or my website.
All love,
