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Kamilla Cardoso and Julie Vanloo effectively dared their respective WNBA clubs to trade them when they chose to report for international duty. The Chicago Sky and Golden State Valkyries treated their players very differently.
One has complete autonomy in her timeline for return. One got cut.
Lets start with Vanloo. The Belgian national chose to leave Golden State in the middle of the WNBA regular season to play for her country at the European championship. The Valkyries were not keen on her departure but she decided to go anyway. Belgium ultimately won its second-straight EuroBasket title.
Vanloo did not get to celebrate with her teammates and got right back on a plane to the United States. She found out she was waived as soon as she got back from the 18-hour trip. Immediately.
Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase thought she handled the entire situation with respect. Vanloo’s Belgian teammates do not agree with her assessment. They ripped her to shreds.
And then there is Cardoso. The second-year player chose to leave Chicago in the middle of the regular season to play for Team Brazil at the AmeriCup. The Sky did not make a stink and let her go.
Brazil did not win like Belgium. Cardoso and company lost to a group of American college stars like Flau’jae Johnson and Lauren Betts in the championship game on Sunday.
Kamilla Cardoso did not report back to the Chicago Sky on Monday like Julie Vanloo to the Golden State Valkyries. In fact, the team is allowing her to get back to action on her own terms.
These two situations present a stark contrast. Vanloo was immediately cut after she won a championship. Cardoso has complete autonomy in her return after she lost a championship.
I understand the difference lies in the status of each player. Cardoso is a first-round draft pick on a team that is trying to become relevant. Vanloo was more of a role player on a team that is trying to find its identity. The former proves poor treatment by/for/toward the latter.
