Julie Vanloo made her presence felt within the first 20 seconds of checking into Friday's season opener .
Vanloo stretched out to snag a rebound before dishing an outlet pass to Breanna Stewart, who laid it in for an easy two points.
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On the Liberty's next possession, Pauline Astier delivered the ball to Vanloo, who knocked in a 3. Vanloo's body relaxed.
"The first shot I made was a full relief because… I couldn't be myself before that," Vanloo said after the Liberty's win over the Sun.
Vanloo almost quit her pursuit of a WNBA roster spot this season after the Los Angeles Sparks waived her Tuesday. She spent the past week riding a Penny board to Venice Beach, where she'd work out and shoot hoops as she tried to rediscover joy in the game.
"It was dark days," Vanloo recalled.
Julie Vanloo reacts during the fourth quarter of the the Liberty's blowout win over the Sun in their season opener at Barclays Center on May 8, 2026. Getty Images
Vanloo questioned what was next, whether she needed to spend time at home in Belgium or whether she needed a mental and emotional reset as much as a physical break. She had given it her all in Sparks training camp, but it wasn't enough to earn a spot on the team's 12-player roster.
Vanloo wasn't immediately sold on joining the Liberty on a hardship contract when her agent called Thursday. She then phoned her mother, who reminded her who she was.
"My mom said also, 'You're not a quitter,'" Vanloo said. "So I didn't do it. And I'm super thankful for this organization. It's like my anxiety just went away and I just feel super free, liberated."
From the outside, no one would have guessed that Vanloo had the Liberty's playbook for just 24 hours and arrived in New York around 1 a.m. Friday.
Julie Vanloo plays defense during the Liberty's win over the Sun. NBAE via Getty Images
She felt exhausted but her adrenaline kicked in. She credited her new teammates for being smart and easy to play with. Chris DeMarco's new offensive system — which had been lauded by players for its spacing principles, clarity and simplicity — was easy for Vanloo to pick up.
After the first quarter, Vanloo looked over the box score and was surprised to see she had seven points, three rebounds and four assists.
"I said, 'Oh damn, this is a balanced stat line right here,' " Vanloo said.
Vanloo finished with 12 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Vanloo didn't come to New York to prove anything. But her play Friday confirmed her belief.
"I think I belong in the WNBA, that's for sure," she said. "I didn't even come here to prove a point. I came here to play basketball, to help out an organization… that I once dreamed of playing here. I never thought I could."
Vanloo is one of two players the Liberty signed to hardship contracts after it became clear New York would have only seven active players because of injuries to Sabrina Ionescu (left foot), Satou Sabally (cyst) and Rebecca Allen (left leg) and the absences of Leonie Fiebich and Raquel Carrera.
Vanloo will likely be waived once the Liberty get closer to full strength. But she's making the most of her time here.
"I'm incredibly proud of myself," she said, "because, trust me, this is two years in a row, you get waived and it's not easy. And I just kept my confidence up."
