The player Julie Vanloo experienced a week full of mixed emotions, marked by unexpected changes and perseverance in her WNBA career. After being cut by the Golden State Valkyries, Vanloo joined the Los Angeles Sparks, showing admirable resilience.
An Unexpected Journey
Vanloo was outside the Barclays Center, two hours before the game between the Sparks and the New York Liberty, waiting to officially be part of her new team. Her trip was long and expensive, flying from San Francisco after being released by the Valkyries.
The 48-hour waiting process for a player’s release gave her hope of joining the Sparks, who had already shown interest. With determination, Vanloo crossed the country to be with her new team.
At 5 p.m., Raegan Pebley, general manager of the Sparks, called Vanloo to welcome her. “Anything for the dream. I don’t care. I could have stayed there another hour,” Vanloo said after the Sparks lost against New York.
Anything for the dream. I don’t care. I could have stayed there another hour.
Vanloo’s week was a rollercoaster. After winning the EuroBasket title with Belgium, she returned to San Francisco to rejoin the Valkyries, but was released an hour after her arrival. Although she holds no grudge against Golden State, she regrets the decision not to have been notified before embarking on the long journey from Europe.
“I’m not here to throw stones at Golden State,” Vanloo said. “If you’re with your family and friends, it’s a completely different story, and not literally alone on the other side of the world trying to figure things out.”
Vanloo attributes his family’s strength, where resilience is a constant. “I come from a family where we move forward. My mother lost her parents in a car accident when she was 18 years old. So she always says that if no one died, we can move on,” said Vanloo. “The Vanloo family, we move forward. We don’t sit around being petty about it. We move on.”
The Sparks welcomed Vanloo with open arms, adding a talented guard to their roster.
The player Julie Allemand, Vanloo’s teammate on the Belgian team, expressed her joy at her friend’s arrival. “I am very happy, very excited for her,” said Allemand. “First, happy to have her on the team. She is going to help us a lot, but happy for her because, like, the last few days were crazy for her.”
The Sparks’ first-year coach, Lynne Roberts, also celebrated the incorporation of Vanloo, who impressed her in the preseason.
Although Vanloo played only two minutes in the match, his time on the court is expected to increase as he adapts to his new team.
Another member of the Belgian national team who is expected to return to the WNBA soon is forward Emma Meesseman, who played seven seasons with the Washington Mystics and was the WNBA Finals MVP in 2019. Meesseman was the EuroBasket MVP, averaging 19.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.
