WNBA players 'on' in off-season

For many NBA players, a typical off-season might involve some travel. You know, like to some exotic island, somewhere relaxing.

WNBA players travel in the off-season, too. But they're going to places such as Poland, Russia and Israel - in the winter.

And they're not there to relax. They're there to make money - and to sweat and sprint and work on their games.

You see, there really is no off-season in the WNBA.

Practically the minute the WNBA season ends in August or September, most players fly overseas to start a new season in a place where they may not know a soul and likely don't speak much of the language.

When that season ends in April or May, they head back and, within a matter of weeks, check in at training camp.

It's taxing, but that's life in the WNBA, where the season is short and the salaries are moderate. Playing overseas is the best way to keep the body and the pocketbook in good shape year-round.

On Thursday, the Chicago Sky hosted a pre-preseason media event that gave reporters a chance to learn more about how the players were performing overseas.

Coach Steven Key's perma-smile was a big tipoff.

"I know we've still got (about three months) until training camp starts, but I'm just so excited right now," Key said. "I can't wait to get started here again because we've got some players who are playing really well right now and doing some very good things."

Like dunking, and making history in the process.

In November, Sky center Sylvia Fowles, who will enter her second WNBA season in May, reportedly became the first woman to dunk in an international game overseas.

She's having a great season for Spartak Moscow, one of the best teams in the world, thanks to a roster that is stacked with WNBA stars such as Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson.

Fowles, who got some great experience playing with Taurasi and Bird on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Beijing, is averaging 15.1 points and 9.4 rebounds in just 25 minutes a game.

"I think that team has been great for Sylvia," Key said. "It's basically a continuation of the Olympics. She's realizing the dedication that's involved, of what some of these top players do behind the scenes to get to where they are. She sees players like Diana Taurasi in the gym for two or three hours shooting.

"That's different than just seeing those top players and saying, 'I want to be like them.' It helps when you know what goes into it."

The sacrifices made in cold Russian gyms aren't without some reward.

Not only are women like Fowles staying on top of their games, they're being paid good money. Very good money in WNBA terms.

For example, Naperville native Candace Parker, a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks who was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, had reportedly signed a million-dollar contract with a team in Russia before she became pregnant with her first child, which is due this spring.

As a rookie with the Sparks, Parker made about $50,000. As a veteran in the league, she won't make much more than $100,000 a season.

But overseas, the best WNBA players have been known to make mid-six figures and higher. In those cases, the teams are often bankrolled by women's basketball fanatics who are so passionate about the game that they'll pay top dollar for their players and don't seem to care if they don't bring in a cent. Or a ruble.

"I think $500,000 would be a good ballpark for what some of the top WNBA players can make over there, but that's probably on the shallow end," Key said. "It's not really a realistic business model, though. The guy over in Russia who does that is just some guy who has a bunch of money and he doesn't mind giving it up for women's basketball. I mean, he gives away tickets and he still gives the players everything. He feeds them, sets them up with a place to live. He has a passion for women's basketball and he wants everyone to feel it, too. He spends something like $9 million a year and won't make anything.

"I wish we could pay our players like that, too. But I think they understand our business model."

WNBA players also really like the idea of playing at home, in front of their friends and family, which is a big reason the league remains desirable despite its lower pay scale.

Of course, some WNBA players need that homey feeling year-round and will take their families overseas with them.

Fowles had her mother stay with her for her first month or so in Russia. And Sky guard Jia Perkins, who is averaging 17 points per game for Electra Ramat in Israel, takes her young daughter Aalirah with her every year.

Sky forward Candice Dupree and guard Dominique Canty have each other to lean on. They play for Wisla Can-Pack in Poland and average 12.7 and 10.5 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, Armintie Price is averaging 16.3 points per game for a team in Mallorca, Spain, called Mariana. She's not too far from Sky forward Brooke Wyckoff, who is playing in Madrid.

"I think all of them are a little homesick," said Key, who has already visited Fowles and is scheduled to check in on Dupree and Canty later this month. "But they're finding ways to deal with it and still be upbeat and play well. We're really happy about that."

Next week: How is the Sky and the WNBA handling the tough economy?

pbabcock@dailyherald.com