Ex-Valkyries Player Makes Feelings Clear After Joining New WNBA Team
The Golden State Valkyries have been struggling. Meanwhile, their Western Conference rivals the Los Angeles Sparks have been on a roll. The two teams are now separated by a half-game in the WNBA standings, both sitting just outside the playoff picture.
The Sparks have won five straight, the longest current streak in the WNBA, adding to this with a thrilling 101-99 victory over the New York Liberty on July 26. As for Golden State, the expansion franchise has dropped six of its last 10 games.
Los Angeles has outscored opponents by 47 points in its recent hot streak, and improved its overall record to 11-14. The basketball world has taken notice of this success, and in ESPN's latest WNBA Power Rankings, the Sparks moved up three spots to the number seventh ranked team.
This success has been led by the usual suspects for the Sparks, All-Star guard Kelsey Plum and forward Azurá Stevens, but a certain newcomer to the team has also been a key contributor.
Belgian guard Julie Vanloo was awarded to the Sparks on waivers on July 3 after being waived by the Valkyries on July 1.
Since then, Vanloo has averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 assists with the Sparks, similar stats compared to her time with the Valkyries, though in a slightly different role with more time playing off the bench in Los Angeles.
She made an immediate impression with her new team, dropping 15 points in her third game. Los Angeles has enjoyed the fruits of her success and has gone 6-2 since acquiring her.
The Sparks are 6-2 since signing Julie Vanloo. pic.twitter.com/nmu9Ews8fP
— VanlooMuse (@JulieVanlooMuse) July 27, 2025
Speaking with Cameron Ruby of The Next, Vanloo made her feelings clear on this new opportunity in Los Angeles. She wants to make the playoffs — and her new team may have to overtake her former team to make that a reality.
“I think we really want to make playoffs,” Vanloo said in her interview with The Next. “We want to do everything we can to reach the playoffs. That’s… a goal we have. And I think if we keep playing and keep building on what we’ve been building… a good chance we can do that.”
Vanloo's departure from the Valkyries, the team that selected her in the 2025 Expansion Draft, was controversial. Vanloo won the 2025 EuroBasket Championship with the Belgian national team and skipped the team's celebrations to fly back to her WNBA team, only to be told she was being waived almost immediately after arriving stateside.
"I'm not here to throw stones at Golden State," Vanloo said earlier this month (via ESPN). "If you're with your family and friends, it's a whole different story, and not literally being alone on the other side of the world trying to figure things out."
While Vanloo and the Sparks have been thriving and surging through the league, her former team, the Valkyries, have felt the opposite result and have gone 2-6 since waiving their former guard. The two teams are now battling for a spot in the WNBA playoffs.
Bio: Jack Haslett is a writer and photographer covering Golden State Valkyries basketball for Sports Illustrated. Jack has previously published work with the Sporting Tribune, the Long Beach Current and DIG Magazine, covering sports, community events and news. A graduate from Long Beach State University, Jack has a passion for writing, photography and all things sports.