Eighteen hours in the air, a EuroCup title in hand, and a missed celebration behind her. Julie Vanloo’s world came crashing down as she stepped into the Bay Area. What a ride it was for her. From playing in France, Italy, Russia, Australia, Spain, and Turkey to becoming the oldest WNBA newcomer at 31 years old. And just like that, her journey in the league was over within just a year of being drafted.

She was originally welcomed by the Washington Mystics and had a strong rookie season with them, where she averaged 23.2 minutes. She was traded to the Valkyries, who signed the 5’8 guard to fill out their roster before their inaugural season in the W. “[Washington] is and will always be THE organization that gave me the opportunity to show the world what I got,” Vanloo wrote in an Instagram story post trade. “It’s with mixed feelings I’m leaving DC … but exciting at the same time. The hard work we put in together opened doors for me, and I will never forget my rookie year. All love.”

Now, it seems that rookie year in D.C. might be the only WNBA memory she’ll hold onto, for better or worse. Because the Golden State Valkyries have officially waived her within 24 hours upon her arrival after winning the EuroBasket with her country, Belgium. The Valkyries made a post on X (formerly Twitter) saying a simple “Thank you, Julie.” Golden State received a lot of fan backlash on the back of this announcement. Many were of the opinion that the Valkyries did Vanloo wrong here; she cut short her celebrations to immediately join the Valkyries, only to receive the news that she had been waived. But HC Natalie Nakase defended the Golden State front office, saying, “From my perspective, I thought it was respectful because whenever a situation like that happens, you bring them in and as a adult you say thanks face to face.”

Vanloo’s departure from the Valkyries was far from respectful, which is in stark contrast to how the Washington Mystics announced her departure. “Thank you for continuing your legacy with the Mystics,” the Mystics wrote to Vanloo on social media. “A part of your journey lives here in D.C., and we’ll always appreciate your time in The District.” She entered the league saying, “I never thought that I would get even one minute in the WNBA. If you’d asked me just a couple of years ago, I would have said, ‘Yes, it’s a dream, but I don’t know if that’s still possible.’ I just never gave up.” And the whole W is tearing up with her as she leaves, saying, “Trust the process. Always. And you all know — I never quit. 😌.”

With her departure now confirmed, another question arises for the Valkyries’ front office. Who’ll replace the Belgian?

Who’s Replacing Julie Vanloo and Why?

The Golden State Valkyries made some key roster moves back when Julie Vanloo’s contract was temporarily suspended on June 10. To fill the gap, they had brought back forwards Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini. It showed a clear focus on developing their existing talent. Rookie Kaitlyn Chen, the former UConn star, also saw her role grow significantly in the absence of Vanloo and Carla Leite.

While Julie Vanloo showed promise with her playmaking and ball-handling, her struggles were hard to ignore for the Valkyries. She was averaging 2.6 turnovers and shot just 21.6% from three on four attempts per game. Chen, on the other hand, may not have the same upside, but she has been a reliable piece in different lineups. Over four games, she has managed to put up 4.3 points and 1.5 assists in 19 minutes per game. She even played some crucial minutes in Friday’s win over the Chicago Sky.

Amidst all this, Zandalasini has rejoined the Valkyries in great form after helping Italy take third spot at EuroBasket. There, she even earned all-star honors with averages of 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Salaün has also returned after France finished fourth in the tournament. As part of some more roster adjustments, Golden State waived forward Chloe Bibby and guard Bree Hall.

The Valkyries’ last game with their full EuroBasket lineup was a June 7 win over the Las Vegas Aces, and since then, they’ve gone 6-2. Now, they’re carrying that momentum into a lighter July schedule. It only features two home games after Sunday’s blowout win against the Seattle Storm. It remains to be seen how this roster shake-up affects their upcoming games.