Since Emma Meesseman led the Belgium women’s national basketball team to Women’s EuroBasket 2017 and turned the Cats from an international afterthought into a world power, it affected her availability to play for the Washington Mystics. Because of Meesseman’s lack of availability, many Mystics fans have become cynical or get outright negative reactions about Europeans playing on the roster. I will admit that this feeling has hit me too. It’s hard for WNBA fans to appreciate European players when they have near-annual summer commitments for EuroBasket in odd numbered years, and potential world competition in even numbered ones.
Anyway, it should be no surprise that current Mystics guard Julie Vanloo, who is also Belgian, made the Cats’ preliminary Olympic roster earlier this week.