Awak Kuier Going Pro | The Boneyard

Awak Kuier Going Pro

Argonaut

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18-year-old basketball super promise Awak Kuier makes a surprise decision and rejects university basketball because of the WNBA dream - Towards Central European Professional Fields

Google translated from Finnish.

"In addition to his associates, Kuier has discussed plans for the future with Emma Meesseman , a Belgian chosen in the fall, as well as former WNBA league former Ann Wouters . The message from both was clear to Kuier.

- Their message to me was that it would be best if I went to Europe to play. They think the university is the right path for some players, but for me, the best option would be Europe, says Kuier about meeting with top players."

She's going to be an absolute beast in the W.
 
oldude said:
That seems to be the way she’s been leaning for a while. Well, if she isn’t coming to UConn, I would just as soon see her turn pro.
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That's my feeling, too. But if she still has another year of high school, it probably makes the most sense for her anyways. I can't imagine her playing in the NCAA until she's 24, and I don't like the idea of someone coming in knowing they don't plan on graduating. That sounds too much like the men's side for my liking... :rolleyes:
 
Argonaut said:
18-year-old basketball super promise Awak Kuier makes a surprise decision and rejects university basketball because of the WNBA dream - Towards Central European Professional Fields

Google translated from Finnish.

"In addition to his associates, Kuier has discussed plans for the future with Emma Meesseman , a Belgian chosen in the fall, as well as former WNBA league former Ann Wouters . The message from both was clear to Kuier.

- Their message to me was that it would be best if I went to Europe to play. They think the university is the right path for some players, but for me, the best option would be Europe, says Kuier about meeting with top players."

She's going to be an absolute beast in the W.
Expand ...
I would like to understand what Emma Meesseman and Ann Wouters were thinking when they gave this advice. In what circumstances would they recommend the college alternative vs. the European pro alternative? I suppose if the player's goal is to get to the WNBA in the shortest possible time and at the youngest age, then playing pro in Europe is the way to go.

Maybe they think Ms. Kuier is so far along in her development that she would not need the refinement and skill development that would be available in a top college program. But I wonder if that is really true. Making a WNBA team and then sitting on the bench is not as satisfying to most players (or so I would think) as playing for a potential National Championship team. If she had talked to Maya or Stewie, they would have told her that the public attention that they received in college greatly exceeds what they have experienced in the WNBA, despite winning WNBA championships.
 
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JoePgh said:
I would like to understand what Emma Meesseman and Ann Wouters were thinking when they gave this advice. In what circumstances would they recommend the college alternative vs. the European pro alternative? I suppose if the player's goal is to get to the WNBA in the shortest possible time and at the youngest age, then playing pro in Europe is the way to go.

Maybe they think Ms. Kuier is so far along in her development that she would not need the refinement and skill development that would be available in a top college program. But I wonder if that is really true. Making a WNBA team and then sitting on the bench is not as satisfying to most players (or so I would think) than playing for a potential National Championship team. If she had talked to Maya or Stewie, they would have told her that the public attention that they received in college greatly exceeds what they have experienced in the WNBA, despite winning WNBA championships.
Expand ...

They were thinking that it's a path that worked well for them and, likely, that Kuier is further along in her development than both of them were when they chose to go pro instead of going to college. With the bad press the NCAA is getting right now with the whole name and likeness business, coupled with the transfer mess, I can't really say I blame her for taking her talents elsewhere.

She'll be a star regardless.

Not to mention, if she gets hurt, she'll still be able to go to university for free in Finland.
 
.-.
Best wish to her success in Euro pro. Will love to see her in WNBA after 2 years ...
 
JoePgh said:
...If she had talked to Maya or Stewie, they would have told her that the public attention that they received in college greatly exceeds what they have experienced in the WNBA, despite winning WNBA championships.
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And I'm sure she doesn't need Meesseman and Wouters to tell her that the money she can make in Europe greatly exceeds what she will earn in the WNBA.
 
Based on what little I've seen of her, she's very pro ready. And by going pro now, not only will she start making good money and become financially independent, but she'll be WNBA draft-eligible in 2021 rather than 2023. Frankly I would've been shocked if she'd chosen the U.S. college route. Did anyone expect Liz Cambage to come play NCAA ball when she was 18?
 
JoePgh said:
I would like to understand what Emma Meesseman and Ann Wouters were thinking when they gave this advice. In what circumstances would they recommend the college alternative vs. the European pro alternative? I suppose if the player's goal is to get to the WNBA in the shortest possible time and at the youngest age, then playing pro in Europe is the way to go.

Maybe they think Ms. Kuier is so far along in her development that she would not need the refinement and skill development that would be available in a top college program. But I wonder if that is really true. Making a WNBA team and then sitting on the bench is not as satisfying to most players (or so I would think) as playing for a potential National Championship team. If she had talked to Maya or Stewie, they would have told her that the public attention that they received in college greatly exceeds what they have experienced in the WNBA, despite winning WNBA championships.
Expand ...
Bad advice. In fact, total irresponsible advice. Stinks. Shameful. Basketball, as a career, is open only to a few, and even to those who make it, their careers are short, sometimes from injury. A college education, on the other hand, is for life.
 
I had been wondering if something was up after she did not play in a recent game. This may mean she might even sign with a team elsewhere in Europe this season.

Plebe said:
Based on what little I've seen of her, she's very pro ready. And by going pro now, not only will she start making good money and become financially independent, but she'll be WNBA draft-eligible in 2021 rather than 2023. Frankly I would've been shocked if she'd chosen the U.S. college route. Did anyone expect Liz Cambage to come play NCAA ball when she was 18?
Expand ...

Assuming a new CBA does not change any rules, the 2021 international class is shaping up to be one of the deepest ever. I think everyone would like to see her play at a higher club level before then and now it sounds like it will happen. I kind of wanted to see what would happen though if she was eligible for the draft and then enrolled in college after being picked.

Dokey said:
Bad advice. In fact, total irresponsible advice. Stinks. Shameful. Basketball, as a career, is open only to a few, and even to those who make it, their careers are short, sometimes from injury. A college education, on the other hand, is for life.
Expand ...

Lots of women around the world who are far less talented than Kuier have had long and prosperous basketball careers. Also, unless your goal is specifically to live in the United States, college virtually everywhere else in the world is significantly cheaper than it is here. Plenty of players overseas get their degrees while playing and can use that to transition later in life if they want.
 
JoePgh said:
I would like to understand what Emma Meesseman and Ann Wouters were thinking when they gave this advice. In what circumstances would they recommend the college alternative vs. the European pro alternative? I suppose if the player's goal is to get to the WNBA in the shortest possible time and at the youngest age, then playing pro in Europe is the way to go.

Maybe they think Ms. Kuier is so far along in her development that she would not need the refinement and skill development that would be available in a top college program. But I wonder if that is really true. Making a WNBA team and then sitting on the bench is not as satisfying to most players (or so I would think) as playing for a potential National Championship team. If she had talked to Maya or Stewie, they would have told her that the public attention that they received in college greatly exceeds what they have experienced in the WNBA, despite winning WNBA championships.
Expand ...
No sure what personal motivators she has, but have not seen too many high school women starting in the European pro leagues and eventually develop enough for WNBA. The few I am aware of were relative unknowns and lower draft choices (i.e. less money). If you listen to virtually all the UConn alumni in the pros, they comment that their development and success was based on much more than just basketball.
 
.-.
awhom111 said:
I had been wondering if something was up after she did not play in a recent game. This may mean she might even sign with a team elsewhere in Europe this season.



Assuming a new CBA does not change any rules, the 2021 international class is shaping up to be one of the deepest ever. I think everyone would like to see her play at a higher club level before then and now it sounds like it will happen. I kind of wanted to see what would happen though if she was eligible for the draft and then enrolled in college after being picked.



Lots of women around the world who are far less talented than Kuier have had long and prosperous basketball careers. Also, unless your goal is specifically to live in the United States, college virtually everywhere else in the world is significantly cheaper than it is here. Plenty of players overseas get their degrees while playing and can use that to transition later in life if they want.
Expand ...

But this way she might avoid getting injured after four years and never earning what she could have as a top professional basketball player. And by the time she would have graduated and begun in the WNBA that summer, she would have collected, arguably, about $400,000 or more. And done so without the risk of playing for free when she's injured.
 
While I am all for college, college isnt for everybody. There are many that start a trade, or a business without any college education and do very well. If she is as good as they say she is why risk the chance of loosing out on all that money with an injury? If the pros are offering her alot of money let her take it and she can always go back to college later.
 
Dokey said:
Bad advice. In fact, total irresponsible advice. Stinks. Shameful. Basketball, as a career, is open only to a few, and even to those who make it, their careers are short, sometimes from injury. A college education, on the other hand, is for life.
Expand ...
It was great advice. WNBA career is perfectly compatible with getting a college degree.
 
HopJim said:
No sure what personal motivators she has, but have not seen too many high school women starting in the European pro leagues and eventually develop enough for WNBA. The few I am aware of were relative unknowns and lower draft choices (i.e. less money). If you listen to virtually all the UConn alumni in the pros, they comment that their development and success was based on much more than just basketball.
Expand ...

Of course, a great number of European women don't need to come to America to play for the WNBA and that league's crappy pay. Better to save their bodies, extend their careers, and only pay for the Big Bucks in Europe, Russia, and Turkey.

Belgian star Emma Meeseman blew off the WNBA in favor of prepping for the Belgian national team. And other players seem to regularly take off a season or two to either rest up or do something else with their lives.
 
Fairfield Fan said:
Of course, a great number of European women don't need to come to America to play for the WNBA and that league's crappy pay. Better to save their bodies, extend their careers, and only pay for the Big Bucks in Europe, Russia, and Turkey.

Belgian star Emma Meeseman blew off the WNBA in favor of prepping for the Belgian national team. And other players seem to regularly take off a season or two to either rest or do something else with their lives.
Expand ...
I don't know how someone can be so consistently misinformed.
1576688497787.png
 
.-.
Sluconn Husky said:
Kuier plays in Finland. She's widely seen as the best prospect in the world.
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It seemed from the article that she's in the United States, but would return (?) to Finland/Europe to play ball.

Do I have that wrong?
 
Fairfield Fan said:
It seemed from the article that she's in the United States, but would return (?) to Finland/Europe to play ball.

Do I have that wrong?
Expand ...


She's always been in Finland. Goes to school there, plays for Helmi.
 
.-.
Sluconn Husky said:
She's always been in Finland. Goes to school there, plays for Helmi.
Expand ...

Here are her stats for the Helsinki Basketball Academy:

It is a team of young players, some of whom will eventually come here for college, but they compete in the top division in Finland where the other teams have up to three Americans on them.
 
If she can play pro ball in Europe, make a bunch of money and get recognition, why on Earth would she come to the WNBA and risk injury playing for peanuts? College is less and less exclusively for young people (My stepdaughter, for instance, got her BA at 45 and will get her Ivy League masters' at 49.). If a kid can live her dream right out of high school, play a few seasons of pro ball, and later choose college (or not), more power to her.
 
Dokey said:
Bad advice. In fact, total irresponsible advice. Stinks. Shameful. Basketball, as a career, is open only to a few, and even to those who make it, their careers are short, sometimes from injury. A college education, on the other hand, is for life.
Expand ...
North Carolina kind of education?:)
 
todbo said:
If she can play pro ball in Europe, make a bunch of money and get recognition, why on Earth would she come to the WNBA and risk injury playing for peanuts? College is less and less exclusively for young people (My stepdaughter, for instance, got her BA at 45 and will get her Ivy League masters' at 49.). If a kid can live her dream right out of high school, play a few seasons of pro ball, and later choose college (or not), more power to her.
Expand ...
This point of view gets repeated very often on this board. What it misses (IMHO) is the fact that the WNBA remains the best basketball league in the world regardless of its pay scale. That means that it is beneficial for players from anywhere in the world to play in the WNBA and establish their basketball credentials against the best competition in the world, which then makes them more attractive to pro teams elsewhere that pay the big bucks.

That is why you rarely, if ever, see a YOUNG American player spurn the WNBA. Yes, people like Diana can take time off from the WNBA after they are well established abroad, and some overseas players are content not to see how they would measure up in the WNBA, but players like Emma Meesseman and a number of Australian players (of whom the latest appears to be Ezi Magbegor) still come to the US and play in the W. They may skip an Olympic year to be with their national teams, but in the other 3 out of 4 years they are in the W. And for a very pragmatic purpose -- to establish their credentials and get properly paid overseas.
 
.-.
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