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Valkyries’ Harshly Timed Julie Vanloo Cut Prompts Backlash from Belgian Teammate

Julie Vanloo rushed back from a historic championship victory—only to be waived by the Golden State Valkyries on arrival, prompting Belgian teammate Emma Meesseman to fire shots at the organization.
Rosalina Lee|
Jun 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase (right) talks with guard Julie Vanloo (35) in the first half against the LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jun 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase (right) talks with guard Julie Vanloo (35) in the first half against the LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Golden State Valkyries saw a wave of roster shake-ups Monday as several core players returned from EuroBasket competition overseas. During their absence, the Valkyries had relied on hardship signings—short-term fill-ins who kept the team going. As their core roster returned, tough decisions had to be made. But the announcement that the Valkyries decided to cut their backup point guard Julie Vanloo came as a shock to many.

Vanloo, a Belgian national, was selected by Golden State in the expansion draft along with many other international players. And like several of her teammates, she temporarily left the WNBA to represent her country in EuroBasket. She returned to the Bay fresh off a championship—but instead of rejoining her Valkyries squad, she was cut upon arrival. The move stunned fans and drew scrutiny, particularly because of the abrupt timing.

Instead of staying to celebrate Belgium's big win over Spain––one of the biggest achievments of her career––Vanloo rushed back to rejoin her Golden State squad, prompting Vanloo’s Belgian teammate Emma Meesseman to take shots at the Valkyries franchise for the indecency of their timing.

“Nah… making her miss a unique moment in 🇧🇪 is crazy 🙅🏻‍♀️” Meesseman fired back on Instagram at the Valkyries’ announcement of Vanloo’s release.

Vanloo also reposted the shocking news to her instagram stories saying, “Literally just touched down in the Bay. 💔 I need some time to process all of this man and put my feels into words. I can’t right now. 💔💔💔💔💔,” obviously upset at the situation.

Fans across social media echoed wide scrutiny of the Valkyries’ mishandling of the situation calling it “distasteful” and “poorly handled.”

It’s assumed that the Valkyries chose to keep hardship signee and Golden State fan-favorite Kaitlyn Chen in her stead, as they both play the same positions. It could have been a decision made looking towards the future of the franchise as Vanloo is 32 years old and Chen, a rookie, is 23. The Valkyries also haven’t missed a beat since many of their core members have been away at EuroBasket.

Still, the organization could have handled the situation with more tact as far as the timing of the delivery. Letting Vanloo miss celebrating a gold medal with her Belgian teammates only to arrive to such unfortunate news presumably only added insult to injury.

But Vanloo is a proven solid playmaker, and there is a high demand for that in the WNBA. With Chicago’s Courtney Vandersloot going out for the season with an ACL injury, the Sky could be one of the possible suitors for Vanloo’s services.

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Rosalina Lee
ROSALINA LEE

Rosalina Lee is one of the premiere content creators in the women’s basketball space. She has written for such companies as Red Bull Sports and has teamed up with notable brands such as Madison Square Garden, going behind the scenes with the New York Knicks and Rangers. She is currently offering analysis and fresh takes into the world of women’s basketball on her YouTube channel, and now with Indiana Fever On SI and Women's Fastbreak On SI, keeping fans in the loop with all the latest action!

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