Brittney Griner’s ordeal in a Russian prison highlighted the risks of pursuing a basketball career overseas. A new league hopes to solve the problem
Candace Parker spent the prime of her career as most WNBA players do, rushing back and forth across the United States during the league’s season while representing her country in international competition and playing club basketball overseas during the offseason, supplementing her domestic income with significantly higher paydays in Russia, China and Turkey.
Until she didn’t. Parker signed a lucrative TV broadcasting deal with Turner Sports in 2018 as an analyst and commentator for NBA games, allowing her to stop playing overseas and to even take a pay cut to join the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces last offseason. Parker made a reported $7m in off-court earnings alone in 2022 by leveraging her charismatic personality and platform as one of the greatest hoopers of all time.
