The WNBA's major conflict with European basketball

Legitimacy

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

The WNBA has worked for decades to prove that it is the most prominent women's basketball league in the world. They want to be viewed like the NBA, which is the unquestioned leader in global men's basketball.

Calendar conflict

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

The only problem is, EuroBasket can serve to undermine that perception, as it puts international WNBA players in an impossible position.

Scheduling

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

The 2025 women’s EuroBasket competition was held from June 18 through June 29, overlapping with the second month of the WNBA season.

See you later

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

As noted by SBNation, nine WNBA players left their teams in the middle of the season to compete at EuroBasket. Four of those nine players played for one team, the Golden State Valkyries.

Discussing decisions

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

The WNBA has permitted international players to leave for EuroBasket in 2025 and in the past, but the choice to do so is not an easy one.

Sabally stays put

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Satou Sabally of the Phoenix Mercury decided to skip EuroBasket to represent the French national team. According to Yahoo Sports, her main motivation to stay was to show her commitment to the Mercury.

All angles

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Sabally said, “So sometimes you just have to give and take a little bit in your professional career. There’s so many people that will pull from all sides. So just knowing what you can and can’t do is also something that I’ve learned throughout my time.”

Marine’s makes her call

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

New York Liberty guard Marine Johannes was in a similar predicament, and decided to stay with her WNBA team as well. Johannes told Yahoo Sports, “I’m 30 right now, and like, I can’t be everywhere and nowhere, you know? I know some people were mad about my decision, but they have to understand that I’m not 23 anymore. Like, I need stabilization too.”

Understanding

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets recognizes the predicament the players are put in. He said, “I’m sure both (Satou and Nyara Sabally) are feeling like they’re leaving their country down, not being there, and because I know they’ve got such pride for playing for their team.”

Thanks but no thanks

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Vanloo was cut by the Valkyries right as she was about to report back to the team after EuroBasket ended. According to SFGate’s website, Vanloo skipped celebrations in Belgium to rush back to San Francisco to resume her WNBA season. The harsh reality of landing and realizing she was cut from the team was overwhelming for her and others.

Unbelievable

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Vanloo wrote on social media, “Literally just touched down in the bay. I need some time to process all of this and put my feelings into words. I can’t right now.” The post had several broken heart emojis as well.

Support

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Fellow Belgian women’s basketball star Emma Meesseman was dismayed by the reality Vanloo faced when she returned to the United States. Meesseman commented on social media, “Making her miss a unique moment in Belgium is crazy.”

Belgian basketball bond

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Julie Allemand of the Los Angeles Sparks competed with Vanloo during EuroBasket, and re-shared a post from Basketball Belgium’s account that supported Vanloo during this difficult stretch of events.

Dilemma

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Vanloo’s situation is going to be fascinating from the standpoint of the precedent it may set. Other WNBA players who are on the fringes of the league might decide against playing in EuroBasket if they feel like their team will cut them while they are away. It could dramatically change the calculus moving forward.

Scooped up by the Sparks

Legitimacy, Calendar conflict, Scheduling, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond, Scooped up by the Sparks

Luckily for Van Loo and her fans, the Belgian guard wasn't out of the WNBA for very long. The Los Angeles Sparks acted quickly to sign her, and it'll be interesting to see what her role is for the rest of the season.

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