Carleton: It’s time to talk about a women’s pro league in Canada
In Her Voice: Bridget Carleton, a WNBA pro and national team member, writes about life on the road, her love for basketball and family, and her desire to see women’s pro hoops in Canada.
(Photo courtesy Canada Basketball / FIBA).
I’m writing this as I sit in the Tel-Aviv Ben Gurion Airport at 4am – with a large coffee in hand, of course.
Another day, another airport. This is the life I’ve lived since I graduated high school in 2015. Not only has travelling become second nature to me, but I’ve gotten really good at living out of a suitcase (and that says a lot for someone who loves shopping for clothes).
I’m currently on my way to Canada for a quick visit home in Chatham, and then to Toronto for a training camp with Team Canada before I hop on a plane to come back to Israel where I’m playing professionally this winter. Whew.
From the outside looking in, it looks like a dream come true! I get to travel around the world and get paid to play the sport I love. And it is, don’t get me wrong. I am so thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given through the sport of basketball. I love travelling, seeing the world, and experiencing different cultures. First and foremost, I especially love playing basketball, and I love that it is my job.
Growing up, my main athletic goal was to represent Canada at the Olympic Games. I’m not going to lie, playing professionally was an afterthought. I knew it came along with the territory, especially if I wanted to go to more than one Olympic Games, but it was never the focus.
On April 10, 2019, I was selected 21st overall in the WNBA draft. Here we go. I’m officially a professional athlete. That first summer was a whirlwind – and it feels like the whirlwind hasn’t stopped since! I signed my first overseas contract that summer, committing to play in Townsville, a city in Queensland on the East Coast of Australia, just a hop and a skip (or a 14-hour flight) over the ocean. A little over two years later, after a short stint in Landerneau, France, in 2020, I’m now playing for Ramat Hasharon, a city just outside Tel-Aviv in Israel.
Like I said, I love exploring the world, I love meeting so many different people, experiencing different cultures, and seeing how different the game of basketball can be played. But I’m not going to lie, the lifestyle is also hard.
This is how a year in my life (and most professional women’s basketball players) looks like: WNBA season from April to October; 7 to 10 days at home; overseas commitments from October to April; then back to the WNBA almost immediately (don’t forget to add in a couple weeks of national team commitments somewhere in there).
By a quick glance at my social media, you can tell I’m a huge family girl. I hate being away from them so often for so long. I’ve missed Christmases, Thanksgivings, birthdays and weddings. During these times, especially, I feel isolated and lonely (but definitely thankful for FaceTime).
I’ve played a total of 6 (!!!) games in Canada since 2015 – and only one in my home province of Ontario. Those included: Two exhibition games with the national team in 2018; an NCAA game in my hometown during my senior year; and three games to help us (Team Canada) qualify for the 2020 Olympics back in 2019.
Carleton with the Minnesota Lynx. (Photo: Stephen Gosling).
There are women’s professional basketball leagues all over the world, including in nearly every country in Europe, many countries in Africa, China, Korea, Australia, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Russia, Puerto Rico. The list goes on.
I’ve seen firsthand the effects that having a pro domestic league can have on youth sports in a country. How many more young females would dream big and continue playing basketball if they were able to see what they could do playing the sport right in their own backyard? How much longer would Canadian professionals play if they could stay in Canada and build their networks and prepare for life after basketball in their home country?
What would the effect be on our national team program if our pool of athletes were able to play with and against each other more frequently, rather than being spread out all over the world with limited time to play together (as is the case now)?
I know it’s not a simple process, building an entirely new league, and I don’t expect it to happen overnight. But I do believe there is a great opportunity in Canada to invest in the women’s game. And I do believe there will be a domestic league in the future (hopefully before I am ready to hang the sneakers up). I think it is something to start thinking and talking about …
Nino Johnson, the newest tower rising in downtown London’s skyline, is healthy, hungry, and ready for his first season with the London Lightning.