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The Los Angeles Sparks made a series of roster moves this week, with the waiving of veteran guard Odyssey Sims drawing the ire of fans on social media. Not only did the Sparks cut Sims, but they cut Shey Peddy as well, leaving them with 11 players and one open roster spot. The Sparks plans became clear on Thursday though with the signing of Eurobasket champion Julie Vanloo, the team announced.
The Sparks signing of Julie Vanloo became possible after she was unexpectedly cut by the Golden State Valkyries upon the completion of Eurobasket. The handling of Vanloo’s waiving drew stark criticism from fans and media alike, as well as Vanloo’s Belgium teammates.
Vanloo had flown back to San Francisco, skipping the Eurobasket championship celebration with her national team teammates, to quickly rejoin the Valkyries only to find out she was being cut upon her arrival. But the Valkyries’ loss is the Sparks’ gain as the team adds another talented ball-handler and playmaker to replace Sims and Peddy.
The second-year WNBA guard made her Sparks debut during the team’s game against the New York Liberty on Thursday, almost immediately after the signing was announced.
This season, she had appeared in nine games for the Valkyries, including two starts, at just about 20 minutes per game. She had been averaging 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists with splits of 29.2 percent shooting from the field, 21.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line. While her shooting percentages obviously need to be better, the Sparks will welcome an experienced hand in the backcourt.
Vanloo was acquired by the Valkyries during the expansion draft back in December. She made her WNBA debut last season with the Washington Mystics. But prior to that, she had extensive experience playing professional basketball overseas. She also has multiple years under belt playing with the Belgium national team at various FIBA competitions.
