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Liberty’s Julie Vanloo nearly records triple-double after almost quitting WNBA dream
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- Liberty’s Julie Vanloo nearly records triple-double after almost quitting WNBA dream
Friday night's Liberty home opener came with a surprise.
It wasn't Breanna Stewart's 31-point performance or Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's first game back since the 2024 WNBA Finals, which included a nasty crossover that put Sun defender Gianna Kneepkens on the hardwood .
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The surprise performance came from Julie Vanloo, a player that joined the Liberty roster less than 24 hours prior to the 106-75 season-opening win at Barclays Center on Friday night .
Her opportunity came on a hardship contract with the Liberty down five players due to injuries and overseas commitment. She took full advantage — 12 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench.
"I played with Julie when I was younger, and I play against her a lot overseas with national team. I know she's this kind of player," Marine Johannes said of Vanloo, who averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 assists in the first three seasons of her WNBA career.
Johannes scored 17 points in the win, including five treys.
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"When she's aggressive and playing with confidence, she can shoot the three, she can pass the ball," Johannes continued. "I think she's a great point guard. And of course, she's fitting with our style of play… really happy for her. I know she was tired, but it was great game for her."
Vanloo was tired because she landed in Brooklyn from Los Angeles as one of two hardship contract signees — the other being New York native Aubrey Griffin — at 1 a.m.
She began 2026 WNBA training camp with the Los Angeles Sparks, but the 33-year-old had been cut by the team for the second consecutive year.
The tough luck almost led her to stop chasing her WNBA dreams. But a conversation with her mother changed her mind.
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"I'm a bit overwhelmed. It was a tough week," Vanloo said after flirting with a triple-double. "I'm a little bit overwhelmed, and I'm just trying to take it all in. That's it, just being raised, trying to stay positive, trying to stay confident. I had a lot of conversations with my family, my close people, I really wanted to give up and go home, because I was exhausted from a long season overseas and from giving everything I had in training camp [in LA]. And so I was just like, 'am I gonna give up or no?' Like, do I need some time at home to just reset? But then I said, 'No.' My mom said, also, you're not a quitter. 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. It feels good."
The talk occurred after Vanloo's agent told her the Liberty would be interested in signing her.
The Belgian stayed ready by hooping at courts on the famous Venice Beach.
"It's my favorite place to be," she said. "I also have a penny skateboard, and I just go there and, like, just be kid again."
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Indeed, Vanloo looked ready.
She knocked down her first shot of the night after coming off the bench — a 26-foot three-pointer assisted by French rookie Pauline Astier.
"The first shot I made was like a full relief, because I just really came off with just some — I don't know. It was just I couldn't be myself before that. And I'm an emotional player. Everybody knows that," she said.
Vanloo credited new Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco for instilling confidence in her throughout the process. She said she felt like " I played under him for longer than maybe a year."
The new system the coach is implementing also made Vanloo's addition seamless.
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"They just share the ball really well. Play uptempo basketball," she said. "There's a lot of spacing, a lot of movement, just because you have players like JJ, she can shoot, she can go inside, outside. Stewie, the same thing, they can handle the ball. It's just, I mean, there's nothing like it. I just, I'm like, I knew it was good, but I was like, 'whoa, OK. Like, this is easy.' And then also, like playing with Marine, I know how to play with her. I know what she thinks. So it's just easy."
The breakout performance was great for Vanloo's confidence. And her opportunity in New York isn't for proving doubters wrong. She just wants to do her job.
"I think I belong to the WNBA, that's for sure," she said. "That's the thing that I wanted to show but I didn't even come here to prove a point. I came here to play basketball, to help out an organization, a big organization that I once dreamed of playing [for]. I never thought I could."
