Julie Vanloo on returning to face Valkyries after abrupt exit: 'So many emotions'

San Francisco Chronicle​

10-08-2025

In an early July blur, Julie Vanloo packed up her San Francisco apartment and flew to New York.
Perched outside of Barclays Center, Vanloo anxiously waited to meet her new teammates. The Los Angeles Sparks had called on Vanloo when she was waived by the Golden State Valkyries, and Vanloo boarded a flight to the Big Apple where the Sparks were playing the Liberty.
'I just keep it moving. I was just hoping on another chance,'' Vanloo said. 'It was definitely very hard for me, but I'm always at peace with it at the end of the day. It's a business, and I do respect that.'
Saturday evening at Chase Center was a reunion for Vanloo and her former Valkyries. Upon seeing Kate Martin and Veronica Burton on the court pregame, Vanloo quickly embraced the two — laughing, smiling. When Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was asked about Vanloo's return to Chase Center during pregame availability, she said she felt like a 'proud parent.'
While separated by 300 miles, Vanloo remains close with her coach and former teammates. Vanloo said she grabbed dinner last night with a couple of Golden State players: 'Definitely a special moment.'
'It's excitement, a bit anxious. It's a bit like, it's so many emotions together,' Vanloo said. 'There's a lot of people I love a lot here, and I do love playing for these fans, so I'm excited to be back in Balhalla.'
Given the abruptness of her exit from Golden State — Vanloo learned she was being waived after her plane touched down at SFO upon returning from a successful EuroBasket campaign — Vanloo says she hasn't quite processed how events unfolded.
She added that Saturday will likely be a vital step in helping her process it.
'I mean, this morning already, you're walking into the gym just knowing that it's not on my home court anymore and the locker room, like, everything is just different,' Vanloo said. 'I'm not here with hard feelings or whatever. Like I really embrace it, and I'm gonna enjoy it to be back here, because it's truly a special moment that I'm going to share. Especially between the fans and me, because I felt so much support from them.'
When Vanloo entered the game late in the first quarter, Golden State fans didn't hesitate to show their pride for their departed Valkyrie — as Vanloo said, she remains firm in the hearts of Bay Area fans.
Another homecoming: In the midst of a tight playoff race, both teams remained concentrated on the game ahead, but many couldn't help but muster sentimental feelings for returnees to the Bay Area. Cameron Brink also experienced some of that mushy stuff.
Brink played all four years for the Stanford women's basketball team, quickly garnering national attention as she became an NCAA champion, three-time All-American and the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Brink broke the program's record for career blocks (424), single-season blocks (127) and single-game blocks (10) en route to becoming the second overall pick in the WNBA draft behind Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
Brink attended Warriors games at Chase Center during her time at Stanford, but never had the opportunity to play on the storied court herself. She said Saturday evening was a dream opportunity for her.
'I think wherever you go to college, you're kind of from there, too. I mean, I spent four years here,' Brink said. 'When we went out as a team, it was in San Francisco. So this is like my second home.'
Brink had a cavalry of attendees at Chase Center for her on Saturday night. Stephen and Ayesha Curry, who are close family friends of Brink, were among those in the stands.
In the wake of her recent return to the court — her fifth game back from a 13-month rehabilitation process for an ACL tear in June 2024 — Brink was on restricted minutes. But however many minutes she plays, Brink is grateful to suit back up in the purple and gold.
'It's been great. You know, I love what I do, and it was really hard to get away from it,' Brink said. 'So it's great to be back.'