Lobo Likely Latest Of Hoop Darlings Headed To Europe But You Can Bet Uconn Star Will Get A Shot At U.S. Olympic Team

Rebecca Lobo can see her future and needs few words to describe it.

There’s no pro draft awaiting the national player of the year in women’s basketball. The outstanding player in the Final Four and leader of Connecticut’s national championship team won’t be negotiating a multimillion dollar contract.

She may get an endorsement or two, but it won’t make her wealthy.

So just where is she headed?

“Graduation in May and Europe in August,” she said.

Lobo is likely to experience what has happened to the players of the year who preceded her. One moment they’re the darlings of the hardwood. Then - poof - they vanish.

Europe is the only place U.S. women can play serious pro basketball. Half a world away, audiences here may never see them again.

The coming year, however, offers one additional opportunity for a lucky dozen. The United States is putting together a national women’s team a full year ahead of the Olympics and those players will be paid, probably around $50,000.

Lobo is likely to be invited to the tryouts next month in Colorado Springs, but the competition for the 12 spots on the team will be stiff. She’ll be going against former players of the year like Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie, who already have international experience.

If Lobo doesn’t make the team, Europe will beckon. She’ll be gone then but certainly not forgotten at Connecticut, where she and her team went far beyond anything that had been expected - Connecticut won its first NCAA title with a 70-64 victory over Tennessee on Sunday and became the first Division I team - men’s or women’s - to go 35-0.

“I told my staff when we signed her and Pam Webber, … for the next four years, we’re going to be all right,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “I didn’t want to put anything on that. ” … I knew they would take care of

everything they needed to take care of, but I never envisioned it would be like this.”