After waiving Julie Vanloo, Valkyries talk about difficulty of ‘breaking up the family'

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

OAKLAND — The WNBA allots only 12 roster spots per team, and as some members of the Golden State Valkyries returned from EuroBasket this past week, the team announced that Julie Vanloo, Chloe Bibby and Bree Hall had been waived.
While 'basketball is a business,' as guard Kate Martin put it, it doesn't mean the decisions were made without a heavy heart.
'It's heartache, it's painful,' said head coach Natalie Nakase. 'Breaking up the family, it's tough. It doesn't feel good. Even for myself, I know I signed up for this position, but how I feel, no one ever has been able to set me up for that. You know, you can warn me, I've leaned on my mentors, but how I personally felt about each and every one of them, it's literally like giving kids away.'
Vanloo brought Belgium its second consecutive EuroBasket championship and was on her flight back to San Francisco when her release was announced. The news came as a shock to her, as it did for many who expected only players signed to fill the roster during EuroBasket would be waived.
'After traveling 18 hours back to the Bay, I missed the fan ceremony and the chance to share that special medal moment with my family and friends. I got back to San Fran as soon as I could,' Vanloo posted on Instagram. 'To hear 1 hour upon arrival: we have to waive you. Honestly, that stung. I understand it's business, but nothing prepares you for the loneliness that comes with getting cut.'
Many of the Valkyries took to the comment section of Vanloo's post, leaving heart emojis and expressing their love for Vanloo. Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski commented with a broken heart emoji on the post.
Nakase said she understood that this is an emotional time for the players who were waived — as it is for her and the Valkyries who remain on the team — and wants to give them space in the meantime. She plans to speak with the players who were waived 'when the time is right.'
'We know basketball is a business, and, you know, I trust our front office and I trust our coaching staff. People are going to be missed,' said Martin. 'Every single person who came in did exactly what they were supposed to do, everybody who was gone for EuroBasket basket, we missed dearly. And you know, I've grown great friendships with a lot of those players. And so the girls that got cut, got waived, we're gonna miss them dearly.'
But as the Valkyries 'broke up the family,' the decision to waive Vanloo might mean an opportunity for newer additions to secure a spot on the roster. Kaitlyn Chen was a third-round draft pick for the Valkyries and was one of the players who were waived before the season. Chen was re-signed by Golden State to fill a temporary roster spot when players left for EuroBasket, playing over 20 minutes in three of her last four games. Chen scored her first double-digit game in the Valkyries' victory over the Chicago Sky.
One key adjustment Chen has made since being back on the roster is her aggressiveness and confidence on the court, something she credits to discussions with the Valkyries' coaching staff and watching film.
'She worked out while she was gone, so that's a player who is a pro. She stayed ready when her name was called,' Nakase said about Chen. 'We went 5-2 with five of our players gone … so I'm definitely not not looking at (Chen's performance), if that makes sense.'
Upon seeing who was waived, Chen's immediate reaction was 'a little bit of shock.'
'Well, I feel it's sad seeing people go. I was very close with Chloe and Bree,' Chen said. 'So that part was sad, but, I mean, I'm just happy and grateful to be able to be here and be a part of this team.'
Valkyries roster reshuffling is likely not over — it has yet to be announced how the team will move forward with center Iliana Rupert, and the futures of Laeticia Amihere and Chen are not set in stone. For now, the only certainty is that the Valkyries have bid their farewells to Vanloo, Bibby and Hall.
'It's not always gonna be the same without them, but it's been pretty cool to see everybody who's come in and has stepped up and done their role and has done it seamlessly,' said Martin. 'But, yeah, you know, that's the name of the game. That's how the WNBA is, and they'll be missed, and I wish everybody nothing but the best in their future.'