KUALA LUMPUR (Mageshwaran's AsiaScope) - What was only a fleeting thought at the end of this column last week gained enormous strength with the opinion of the coach of the one of the best women's basketball teams in the history of sport.

There are not who'd disagree with me when I say that the USA team that played and won the title, at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women the past weekend was one of the best combinations of athletes in the history of team sport.

"This is like the Dream Team of 1992," Spain coach Lucas Mondelo's statement, after his team had lost to this group of champion women athletes, comparing it to the hallowed collection of superstars that won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was certainly no exaggeration of the reality.

How did this team inspire such a comment from a rival coach?

The answer lays within what the American coach, and some of the players, said during the course of Turkey 2014.

"There are more good teams than there were, say 10, 12, 14 years ago, from what I remember," said USA coach Geno Auriemma.

"Therefore it helps us that a lot of our players are also playing internationally," he said.

What was left unsaid, and obvious, was that the more the USA players also played in Europe - and quite a handful of them even in China - the more formidable even the mighty USA got.

"I've been able to play with a lot of great players, and against the world's best players, so to get that experience is something that you really can't get anywhere else, obviously, unless you play overseas," said Nneka Ogwumike about her learning from FIBA competitions.

Here again the last few words from the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women All-Tournament player - "unless you play overseas" - were what caught my contention for this discussion.

This takes me back to where I ended last week, and the purpose of this week's headline.

It's becoming crystal clear - some might even call it a no-brainer - that the only way for Asian teams to get better is to play in Europe. Of course, playing tournaments involving National teams cannot be an everyday happening.

Therefore, the only way for Asian players to get better - and by extension help their National teams get better - is to hunt for jobs in Europe.

Having watched Turkey 2014 from a ringside seat, I am of the firm opinion that there are more than a handful of Asian players who are capable of playing in the European Leagues.

The likes of Ramu Tokashiki, Yuka Mamiya, Shao Ting and Yang Liwei are surely as capable, if not more, as many of the players I saw from various teams in Turkey 2014 who are playing their trade outside their countries.

Therefore I don't believe there is anything that stops the Asian players from seeking out better, more and wider experience. Apart from their own attitude that is.

Time for Asian players to break the shackles and start exploring. Migratory birds, as Charles Darwin once famously said, always return home strong! And in this case, make the home stronger.

So long…

S Mageshwaran

FIBA Asia

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.