WNBA Guard Lands New Job Days After Release From Valkyries
Three days after being waived by the Golden State Valkyries, point guard Julie Vanloo has signed with the Los Angeles Sparks. The Valkyries released Vanloo on Monday after she returned from winning the FIBA EuroBasket championships with the Belgian national team. The Sparks announced that Vanloo will be active for their away game Thursday evening at New York.
Vanloo started 34 games for the Washington Mystics before being selected by Golden State in the 2024 WNBA expansion draft. She played just nine games for the franchise, averaging 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Chloe Bibby and Bree Hall were also released by the team Monday.
Per Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints, head coach Natalie Nakase called the moves “heartbreaking.”
“It was painful,” Nakase said. “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, to be honest. But we only have 12 roster spots. Like I said prior, they all surpassed our expectations and we're just trying to make the most competitive team possible."
NEW 📝📝📝
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) July 3, 2025
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase fielded questions today at open practice on the team’s unexpected release of Belgian guard Julie Vanloo. https://t.co/MZvv6Ok2FE
Vanloo adds depth to a struggling Sparks squad that has lost seven of its last ten games, and joins her fellow Belgium teammate Julie Allemand on the roster. The Valkyries host Los Angeles for their fourth and final matchup of the season on Aug. 9, which will give Vanloo an opportunity to play against her former team just over a month after she was let go.
Anwar Stetson is a Multimedia Sports Journalist from Los Angeles, California. He previously worked as a TV News Reporter for KRCR News Channel 7 in Chico, California--covering politics, local news, wildfires, crime, and high school football. As an Assistant Editor for Spectrum Sportsnet: Los Angeles, Anwar worked on award-winning programs Backstage:Lakers and Backstage:Dodgers, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the two franchises' most prominent athletes. Anwar is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received his Master's Degree in Specialized Journalism (Sports Emphasis) in 2019. He graduated from the University of California, Merced with a B.A. in English in 2016. In addition to Sports Illustrated, Anwar covers high school sports for Prep Network, and the WNBA for The Sporting Tribune.