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Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase pushes back on criticism of Julie Vanloo release
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- Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase pushes back on criticism of Julie Vanloo release
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OAKLAND – The Golden State Valkyries have come under heavy fire for how they handled the release of fan-favorite Julie Vanloo . Vanloo reportedly skipped the EuroBasket championship celebrations in Belgium to fly 18 hours to San Francisco, only to find out the team waived her moments after she touched down at SFO.
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The situation with Vanloo's release has created a firestorm around the team, with fans and players criticizing the Valkyries for their treatment of the Belgian guard. But at Golden State's open practice, head coach Natalie Nakase shared her perspective on how the team handled waiving Vanloo.
A reporter asked Nakase if the team knew Vanloo would find out as soon as her plane landed at the airport .
"No. I mean, I'm going to let the front office think about that," Nakase said. "But from my perspective, I would say that's respectful because whenever a situation like that happens, you bring them in. And as an adult, you say thanks face-to-face. That was out of respect."
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Vanloo was one of four players to step away from the Valkyries to play for their home country in this year's EuroBasket tournament. She scored 9.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in the tournament and was an integral part of a back-to-back EuroBasket title for Belgium, going as far as to earn All-Tournament Second-Team honors.
However, her spot on the Valkyries was never as secure as the other players who left. Despite having the signature moment of the expansion team's WNBA debut, Vanloo tallied a -22.5 net rating in her nine games with the team. That puts her near the bottom of the league of players who've averaged at least 10 minutes in at least eight games, ahead of only players from the Connecticut Sun , the worst team in the WNBA.
How Kaitlyn Chen factored into Vanloo's release
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
It's also no secret that the play of Kaitlyn Chen also put Vanloo's spot on the Valkyries roster in jeopardy. Over the last couple of games, Nakase slowly increased Chen's playing time. And in those minutes, Chen took the opportunity and made significant positive contributions.
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At the same open practice, Tiffany Hayes praised Chen's play from the last couple of games.
"She's very aggressive. And I think that definitely works for us. Because there's no player on the court that can't guard for us," Hayes said.
The veteran guard also talked about how her experience at UConn played a big part in her mindset.
"She has a lot of that winning experience. So she knows in big games, and whatever the case may be, she needs to be aggressive for us to be successful for the most part. And also her knowledge of the game. I think she has a lot of that, so we're definitely grateful that she's here."
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Though her numbers on the statsheet don't jump out, Nakase trusted Chen to close down the stretch in a tight game versus the Chicago Sky over starter Veronica Burton . And despite playing fewer games than Vanloo, Chen has a much lower turnover rate, 13.8% to Vanloo's 30.8%.
Nakase was asked if Chen's performance over the last week factored into the decision to waive Vanloo.
"I mean, like I said, we went 5-2 [with Chen]," Nakase said. "We were really competitive, so I'm definitely not, not looking at that. If that makes sense."
How Nakase and the team are handling it emotionally
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Regardless of the cold and hard on-court reasons why Vanloo was released, that doesn't make the decision any less emotional for Nakase and the team .
"It was heartbreaking," Nakase said.
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She took a long moment to answer when asked about that side of the situation, and as it relates to the other roster moves the Valkyries made.
"It was painful. I'm not a mom, but it was like I gave away three kids."
Nakase has been vocal all throughout the season that the WNBA needs to expand the 12-player roster maximum. It's been a huge talking point for her all season, especially with a team that has demonstrated they could use the efforts of every player who's come through the organization.
"It was all of them," Nakase continued. "Julie meant a lot. Chloe meant a lot. Even Bree. I wish I could keep them all, to be honest. But we only have 12 roster spots. Like I said prior, they all surpassed our expectations and we're just trying to make the most competitive team possible."
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Related: Julie Vanloo's Belgian teammates come to defense after Valkyries release
