Natalie Nakase Asserts Valkyries Cut Julie Vanloo in 'Respectful' Way Amid Backlash
On June 30, news broke that the Golden State Valkyries had cut veteran guard Julie Vanloo. While this is an unavoidable aspect of professional sports, the fact that Golden State announced this decision while Vanloo was on a plane back to the Bay Area from Europe (where she was representing her country of Belgium in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament) rubbed many people the wrong way.
It also clearly upset Vanloo, as she made an Instagram post on July 2 that read, "After traveling 18 hours back to the Bay, I missed the fan ceremony and the chance to share that special medal moment with my family and friends. I got back to San Fran as soon as I could. I left the party in the middle of the night after the game.
"To hear 1 hour upon arrival: we have to waive you. Honestly, that stung. I understand it’s business, but nothing prepares you for the loneliness that comes with getting cut. It feels like the whole world suddenly crashes on your shoulders," the post added.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase spoke with the media on July 2 and opened up about this decision.
“It was heartbreaking. It was painful,” Nakase said when asked about the team cutting Vanloo, Chloe Bibby, and Bree Hall, per a July 2 article from Nathan Canilao of The Mercury News. “I’m not a mom, but it was like I gave away three kids. Julie meant a lot. Chloe meant a lot, even Bree. I wish I could keep them all. Just to be honest, we only have 12 roster spots. They all surpassed our expectations, and we’re just trying to make the most competitive team possible.”
When asked about the timing of Vanloo getting cut on her way back to San Francisco, Nakase said, "From my perspective, I would say that was respectful. Because whenever a situation like that happens, you bring them in. And as an adult, you say things face to face.
“I think that was out of respect," she added, per Kenzo Fukuda.
Natalie Nakase on the timing of waivingJulie Vanloo as she landed in San Francisco:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) July 2, 2025
“From my perspective, I thought it was respectful because whenever a situation like that happens, you bring them in and as a adult you say thanks face to face.”
Shoutout @nathancanilao for the Q pic.twitter.com/1SHRaa0RIN
It will be interesting to see how Nakase's sentiment is received by the WNBA community.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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