Any fear of Overseas Play?

Brittney Griner, Picture Courtesy via NBA.com

WNBA players are a big piece to the process of building basketball globally. We don't always understand the factors that basketball presents to the world globally, but we are definitely feeling it's effects. Women basketball players all over the world is this continuing group of people that are trying to get the opportunity to make sure they get the attention as much as the men, respectively. When the WNBA first started, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoops, and Rebecca Lobo were the women who fronted the league as the marketing faces. Now after 18 years, the league's attention has grown in a large margin.

The WNBA players have been able to get noticed on a large stage because of their ability to increase play. This increase play started with the idea that women will be able to play above the rim. Playing above the rim started being noticed when Lisa Leslie decided to start dunking in games. Later through the time came Candace Parker, who was the big time athlete from Illinois and set the national scene on fire with attention of females high school basketball players.

Now after all the different success stories that have come from female basketball, there is still a huge question...Why do these females still continue to go overseas and play basketball? Sure, there are many opportunities with income overseas, but is there a balance for doing so. The idea that you will be playing basketball all year long (excluding a very short period between leagues), violent threats, long and short term health?

Brittney Griner, 6'8'' C for the Phoenix Mercury, just so happen to get involved with a situation where a man tried to stab her with a knife in China. She was not injured but the threat definitely is shake for the WNBA phenom. The idea that the biggest product could be hurt away from home is definitely a shocking thing to think about. I'm not sure if the league will address this situation to get her away from something like this but the the constant thought about the money made is definitely the reasoning why she would continue to travel for play.

WNBA players make anywhere between $36,000 to $105,000. Griner was able to make $49,000 in a 2013 contract but now we look at the situation about how can the WNBA make up for the $600,000 she earned in 3 months in China. They can't do this but with the WNBA being a bigger and better league, they have to find a way to make up the margin because, there's no telling what those women face away from home.

Is this really a issues or isolated incident? Should the WNBA be worried about their elite athletes playing overseas?