When the first-ever WNBA expansion team since the founding of the Atlanta Dream, the Golden State Valkyries, returned to full strength, a roster reshuffle was inevitable. With several key players now back from EuroBasket duties, the Valks had to part ways with some of their players to keep the rotation alive. That’s why three of the signees were waived. But while others had to go, there was one who surprisingly remained on the roster. Why? Well, fans know the answer better than anyone!

The Valks announced on Monday that they had waived Belgian guard Julie Vanloo, just a day after she helped her country win the EuroBasket Championship. This decision came despite Vanloo being a fiery sharpshooter who was named to the All-Tournament Second Team, averaging 9.8 points per game in just 30.2 minutes of action. She even skipped the celebrations in Belgium to return to the Bay Area, only to realize that she had been cut.

You could feel the heartbreak in her words: “Literally just touched down in the Bay,” Vanloo wrote, adding a broken heart emoji. “I need some time to process all of this, man, and put my feelings into words. I can’t right now.” She added five more broken heart emojis after that.

And she wasn’t the only one who opposed her release, as even her Belgian teammates pointed out that Vanloo missed the opportunity to celebrate a historic victory with her national team due to the timing of the Valks’ decision. But yes, she wasn’t the only one waived; she was accompanied by Chloe Bibby and Bree Hall, who were also let go.

Notably, these two had been key midseason additions as Bibby had supported GSV off the bench since being signed last week, while averaging 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds across five games. Hall, on the other hand, appeared in two games, scoring just three points. So it’s easy to understand why these two didn’t make a lasting impact on the Valks’ roster, but that wasn’t the case with Vanloo. Another hardship player was chosen over Vanloo, which is exactly why the comment sections were flooded with shocked fans.

Fans debate as Kaitlyn Chen emerges as Valks’ unexpected spark, but is her roster spot safe yet? 

No doubt, fans were upset by Julie Vanloo’s abrupt departure, but what worried them most wasn’t necessarily her exit—it was who would replace her. “Waiving Bree Hall makes sense, but waiving Julie Vanloo makes little sense. Vanloo is a fan favorite that deserved better,” penned one user. And yes, that fan isn’t wrong. It’s because this recent move signals that the Valks may move forward with rookie guard Kaitlyn Chen on the roster. And to be honest, it was expected as the former UConn star logged heavy minutes over the past week while Vanloo was away at EuroBasket and fellow rookie point guard Carla Leite missed four games due to a back injury.

“@Theblackqueen and Kaitlyn Chen make the final roster then?” wondered another user. So, while definitely unfortunate for Vanloo, to some, this seems like a full-circle moment. If you rewind to the beginning of the season, when teams were required to announce roster cuts, fans were already frustrated. It’s because out of the 12 spots, 11 players were added via transactions from existing WNBA rosters, leaving rookies like Chen and Laeticia Amihere waived. That meant zero players from the 2025 draft class made the opening day roster.

But now, with those same EuroBasket players temporarily out, the Valks turned back to the very players they had previously cut, signing Chen and Amihere. However, the team is still at 13 players even after the waivers that have happened so far. So, they might need to cut either Amihere or Chen, landing themselves in turbulent waters again. As one frustrated fan summed up, “What a joke. Something needs to be done.”

Yet, despite the discontent, Valkyries do have legitimate reasons for keeping Chen. When she returned, she was met with overwhelming fan support – after all, she had already become a preseason favorite, with her jersey ranking sixth in WNBA sales. On the basketball side, Chen’s addition proved to be just as impactful. As head coach, Natalie Nakase told the San Francisco Chronicle, “She showed such a competitive edge… it’s good that I could just show her things, or just talk about things on the fly, and she can pick things up just like that.”

One fan put it into context perfectly: “I mean, they are the winningest team and they have the winningest coach. 12 rings? And 5 #1 draft picks in the WNBA… so.” So, yes, Chen is a former UConn standout and one of three Huskies drafted into the W this year, but that alone didn’t earn her a place on the GSV. As Geno Auriemma said, “She deserves to be in the league. She deserves to be playing professional basketball.” It was her adaptability and high basketball IQ that truly made the difference.

“So Kaitlyn Chen staying in the league, huh??? UConn mafia always wins in the end, I fear,” added another fan. Well, this comment hits a deeper point, but let’s make it clear that while Chen proved her worth in limited minutes, Vanloo failed to capitalize on her chances.

Just consider, despite being known for her ball vision and flashy handle, Vanloo struggled with consistency. She averaged 2.6 turnovers per game and shot just 21.6% from beyond the arc on four attempts per game, which is a worrying stat line for a guard. Even defensively, she wasn’t a strong asset either.

Among W’s players averaging at least 10 minutes a game across a minimum of eight games, she’s got a net rating of minus-22.5, which is sixth worst. But ever since her departure, the GSV has gone 5-2, dramatically cutting down on turnovers and tightening up defensively. Meanwhile, Chen has shone in her bench role, so much so that she was trusted in the closing lineup during Friday’s tight win over the Chicago Sky. But, still, the way Vanloo received the news was not justified at all. And for that, the GSV should give some answers.