Julie Vanloo's wild week after Valkyries move reflects WNBA has issues to fix

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

The Golden State Valkyries broke a good woman's heart this week, and they hated to see it go down that way, but the recovery process was swift and efficient for all concerned. Things move awfully fast in the WNBA, and this episode was a clear sign that the league's roster limit needs a makeover.
In any sport, expansion teams tend to be a ragtag bunch of vagabonds, thrown together in desperation and bound to spend a few years viewing life from the basement. The Valkyries wouldn't hear of it. Sorting through the other teams' excess and venturing boldly into the international market, they crafted an instant success story that has left the entire league in awe – not just on the court but in attendance, marketing strategy and revenue streams.
In many ways, Julie Vanloo represented the Valkyries' appeal: clever and athletic, with a gift for showmanship and, on the best nights, the 3-point shot. But things got crowded in the team's backcourt, so much so that when a talented veteran player, Aerial Powers, was signed as a fill-in for players competing in the Eurobasket tournament overseas, she basically just cheered from the bench for two weeks.
Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes and Kate Martin made it clear they'd be here to stay. Fans couldn't wait to see the exciting Carla Leite return from injury. Kaitlyn Chen, a starter on UConn's national championship team last year, bounced on and off the roster. All of which led to a disheartening conclusion for coach Natalie Nakase: There was no room for the 32-year-old Vanloo, who hadn't been playing particularly well and missed out on the club's recent rise through the standings.
This is where it became awkward and inexcusable that the WNBA limits rosters to 12 players – 11 in some cases, due to salary-cap restrictions. 'I mean, what is that?' WNBA legend Candace Parker told reporters. 'You can't even practice with 11.'
For various reasons, a number of excellent, well-known players have found themselves waived or released in recent days, among them DeWanna Bonner, Grace Berger, Tiffany Mitchell, Elizabeth Kitley and Haley Jones. Some will resurface, others might be re-thinking their future.
It's the Valkyries, however, who most demonstrate why the rosters must expand to 15 players. Were you that familiar with Burton, Kayla Thornton, Temi Fagbenle or Monique Billings before the season started? They've all become mainstays in the league. Golden State saw a vision of the future – international stars increasingly passionate about leaving home – and astutely acquired Leite, Janelle Salaün, Cecilia Zandalasini, Iliana Rupert and Lithuania's 19-year-old Juste Jocyte, who will join the team next year and has all the makings of a backcourt starter.
Vanloo was in that group, until she wasn't, but she rebounded like a champ. Immediately picked up by Los Angeles, she needed 48 hours to clear waivers – and she was determined to show up for the Sparks' game in Brooklyn Thursday night. So there she was, standing outside Barclays Center with her baggage, waiting to become officially eligible at 5 p.m.
Some three hours later, in a lovely gesture by Sparks coach Lynne Roberts, Vanloo was on the court against the New York Liberty, given two minutes of get-acquainted playing time. Now she's on another stacked roster including Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson, Azura Stevens, Rae Burrell, rookie guard Sarah Ashley Barker and Julie Allemand, a longtime friend and teammate on Belgium's national team, with former Stanford star Cameron Brink soon to return from knee surgery.
'Anything for the dream,' Vanloo told reporters after the game. 'I'm not here to throw stones at Golden State. I come from a family where we don't sit around and be petty about things, we just keep going.'
The Pod strikes again
• Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors isn't just the Valkyries' biggest fan (or at least the most demonstrative), he had a hand in building the roster. Back in December, knowing that he has an analytical mind and follows the women's game closely, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin asked Podziemski if he had any thoughts about the expansion draft. As reported by the San Francisco Standard, he recommended Burton, an off-the-bench player for the Connecticut Sun last season. Nyanin took it to heart, and Burton has blossomed into a heart-and-soul team leader.
• Cockeyed theories abounded when Caitlin Clark, a runaway vote leader in the fans' All-Star game balloting, finished ninth among guards in the players' voting. It's a racist league full of jealousy, came the outrage. Really? 'Go after the white girl' hardly seems a prevailing sentiment within a league known for its admirable race relations, and scattered hints of jealousy will always accompany the biggest star. But in truth, Clark has missed nine games due to injury, and her numbers are way down (notably a 1-for-23 slump from 3-point range). I'd bet quite a few voters thought, 'Caitlin's a lock. Let's give some love to other players who deserve some attention.'
• How embarrassing is the WNBA's salary structure? Say you're a female tennis player at Wimbledon, and you just lost in the second round. Disappointing for sure, but as Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim pointed out, that result earns you more than the WNBA's median salary for the season.
• Also crazy: Members of the Indiana Fever got $30,000 each for winning the recent Commissioner's Cup tournament. Nice, said Clark, but 'you get more for this than you do if you win the league title (just $20,000). Makes no sense.' And if you're wondering, each member of the Oklahoma City Thunder got $828,200 for winning the Finals.
• Bar talk at the 3-Dot Lounge as the Chicago White Sox, facing the Giants Friday night at home, chose hideous black pants and red tops as a 'City Connect' uniform.
'I say they go early 20th century,' a man said. 'What was the greatest three-year stretch in White Sox history? 1917-19, when they won one World Series and went to another. Make that the alternate uniform.'
'Wait a minute,' said an appalled customer. 'They fixed the 1919 Would Series. 'Eight men out,' and all that. You're going to honor such a thing? Baseball would never allow it.'
'Uh, excuse me – baseball has become a shameless, disgusting partner of the gambling industry. Everywhere you look: Bet on this, bet on that. Pete Rose gets a pardon. I think they've waived their right to comment.'