Julie Vanloo just experienced a roller-coaster stretch rarely seen in professional basketball. Last Sunday the Belgian guard helped her national team complete an epic comeback to claim a second straight EuroBasket crown, then boarded an 18-hour flight back to California believing she would re-join the Golden State Valkyries — only to discover she had been cut the moment she landed.
Golden State’s front office had bristled at Vanloo’s mid-season detour for international duty and, after first hinting at a trade, chose instead to place her on waivers. The timing stung: her teammates were still celebrating in Brussels while Vanloo found herself suddenly job-hunting, a move many Belgian players publicly called disrespectful. Head coach Natalie Nakase insisted the franchise had acted “with the utmost respect,” a claim that did little to calm the backlash.
Waivers, however, opened a new door. The Los Angeles Sparks quickly filed a claim and flew Vanloo across the country for a game against the New York Liberty. Because league approval lagged, the 32-year-old was forced to sit on the curb outside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, suitcase in hand, until the WNBA confirmed the transaction.
Clearance finally arrived minutes before tip-off, capping one of the strangest weeks in league history. Vanloo logged two late-game minutes in her Sparks debut and, in a pleasant twist, now shares a backcourt with fellow Belgian star Julie Allemand. The journey from European champion to homeless free agent to new-look Spark in barely five days may be exhausting, but Vanloo’s resilience turned a harsh setback into a fresh opportunity.
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