Sparks stars Julie Vanloo and Julie Allemand spoke exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports regarding the former’s turbulent last handful of weeks, which saw the 32-year-old’s WNBA career turned upside down
LOS ANGELES — Being a WNBA player means understanding that, aside from a handful of star players, a roster spot is never guaranteed. For Julie Vanloo and Julie Allemand, the two Belgian stars fresh off EuroBasket success, the former’s experience over the last handful of weeks was a stark reminder of that perilous position.
Vanloo originally started the season with the Golden State Valkyries and took time away from the team to help lead Belgium to a gold medal in EuroBasket. As she was flying back to San Francisco to rejoin her team, Vanloo was waived, only finding out after she had landed in the Bay Area.
Now, as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, Vanloo explained to Mirror U.S. Sports how the entire situation felt like going from “heaven to hell” and declared that the WNBA was not “for softies.” So hectic were the Belgian star’s last handful of weeks that at one point, she arrived in Brooklyn and waited outside the arena before playing without a name on her jersey.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports after the Sparks’ 92-88 win over the Connecticut Sun, the 32-year-old gave insight into her turbulent experience as of late. “You go from heaven to hell and then back to heaven, and you just got to wait, because the rules of the WNBA, they’re just so strict, so you can’t really talk to nobody,” Vanloo said of her experience of being waived.
“You just have to wait until waivers are going, and hopefully, some team picks you up, and the whole process of not knowing what’s going to happen is very tough. And I think that’s the thing. I know that the WNBA is a business world, but we are we’re still humans.”
The 32-year-old also shared how having a proper support system was important to her as she continued to navigate life after being waived and now finding a home in Los Angeles, playing alongside a fellow Belgian Cat in Allemand. For Allemand, having Vanloo in a Sparks uniform was beneficial for her as she looked to find her footing in the league.
Though Allemand was part of the Sparks’ roster in 2024, she missed the entire season with an injury. In essence, the 2025 season is her first in a Sparks uniform and considering her own personal struggles, the 28-year-old shared she felt for Vanloo and the turbulent time she endured.
What’s more, Allemand revealed she was happy to see her Belgian teammate appreciated by the Los Angeles faithful in her first home game against the Minnesota Lynx. Vanloo scored 15 points off the bench in that game, with each 3-pointer bringing the crowd into a more raucous frenzy after every shot.
“I told her after the game. She was like, ‘You left directly after the game,'” Allemand exclusively told Mirror U.S. Sports. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I was pissed because we lost.’ The only thing I was happy about was her feeling good on the court.
“The first two or three games, she wasn’t playing that much. It was hard for her. Of course, it’s normal — she just came here. First game at home, she was making 3s. I was so happy for her because the last two weeks have been terrible for her. Especially, we know what happened with the Valkyries. I was just glad that she was all here, hooping, and just doing her job and having fun.”
In the end, as the two Belgian stars continue to make their impact for the Sparks, Vanloo believes that having a good support system and a strong belief is what ultimately helped her land in Los Angeles, essentially willing her next stop in the WNBA to existence, and admitted she would do anything to keep playing in the league.
“You have to make sure you’re surrounded by the right people and just got to keep believing and never give up. I do believe that I belong to this league, and I’m very happy that L.A. sees that and really truly believes in it, and I know the process wasn’t easy,” she said.
“Waiting in front of the door at Barclays wasn’t the ideal thing, but I would do literally anything to play in this league, and if I had to stand outside where it was very hot before the game, that doesn’t matter to me. That’s something small.”
