Los Angeles Sparks Sign Guard Julie Vanloo After Waivers

LOS ANGELES, California — The Los Angeles Sparks announced Thursday the signing of guard Julie Vanloo. This move comes just days after the Sparks waived veteran guard Odyssey Sims, filling a crucial spot in their backcourt.

Vanloo, 32, recently played for the Golden State Valkyries, who waived her after her participation in the EuroBasket championship. Last season, she made her WNBA debut with the Washington Mystics and averaged 7.4 points and 4.3 assists in 40 games. In her short career, she has already risen to prominence among rookies with 173 assists, placing her seventh in league history.

After returning to San Francisco from Greece following Belgium’s successful EuroBasket championship victory, Vanloo expressed her surprise at being waived. She posted on social media, “Literally, I just landed. I need time to process all this and put my feelings into words.”

During her time with the Valkyries, Vanloo averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 assists over nine games. The decision to waive her was described as “heartbreaking” by Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase.

As a member of the Belgian national team since 2009, Vanloo has competed in the Olympics and various EuroBasket tournaments. Notably, she helped lead Belgium to its first EuroBasket title in 2023 and their second consecutive championship earlier this week.

Vanloo is set to wear No. 6 for the Sparks and will appear in their game against the New York Liberty Thursday evening. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts looks forward to the veteran’s experience and leadership as the team aims for a playoff spot this season.