The Julie Vanloo saga shows that the WNBA and European basketball have a problem

Regional differences

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

The WNBA bills itself as the preeminent women’s basketball league in the world. However, they’re not the only show in town when their season is in action. EuroBasket is also active, and forces European WNBA players into a tricky predicament. The 2025 EuroBasket tournament put several players in a difficult position.

No breaks

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

The WNBA shuts down during the Olympics every four years, to give international and domestic players time before and after the tournament to jump in and out of the season. However, the WNBA does no such thing in deference to EuroBasket, which is also held once every four years.

See you later

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

As noted by SBNation, nine WNBA players left their teams in the middle of the season to compete at EuroBasket. Four of those nine players played for one team, the Golden State Valkyries.

Discussing decisions

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

The WNBA has permitted international players to leave for EuroBasket in 2025 and in the past, but the choice to do so is not an easy one.

Sabally stays put

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Satou Sabally of the Phoenix Mercury decided to skip EuroBasket to represent the French national team. According to Yahoo Sports, her main motivation to stay was to show her commitment to the Mercury.

All angles

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Sabally said, “So sometimes you just have to give and take a little bit in your professional career. There’s so many people that will pull from all sides. So just knowing what you can and can’t do is also something that I’ve learned throughout my time.”

Marine’s makes her call

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

New York Liberty guard Marine Johannes was in a similar predicament, and decided to stay with her WNBA team as well. Johannes told Yahoo Sports, “I’m 30 right now, and like, I can’t be everywhere and nowhere, you know? I know some people were mad about my decision, but they have to understand that I’m not 23 anymore. Like, I need stabilization too.”

Understanding

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets recognizes the predicament the players are put in. He said, “I’m sure both (Satou and Nyara Sabally) are feeling like they’re leaving their country down, not being there, and because I know they’ve got such pride for playing for their team.”

Thanks but no thanks

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Vanloo was cut by the Valkyries right as she was about to report back to the team after EuroBasket ended. According to SFGate’s website, Vanloo skipped celebrations in Belgium to rush back to San Francisco to resume her WNBA season. The harsh reality of landing and realizing she was cut from the team was overwhelming for her and others.

Unbelievable

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Vanloo wrote on social media, “Literally just touched down in the bay. I need some time to process all of this and put my feelings into words. I can’t right now.” The post had several broken heart emojis as well.

Support

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Fellow Belgian women’s basketball star Emma Meesseman was dismayed by the reality Vanloo faced when she returned to the United States. Meesseman commented on social media, “Making her miss a unique moment in Belgium is crazy.”

Belgian basketball bond

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Julie Allemand of the Los Angeles Sparks competed with Vanloo during EuroBasket, and re-shared a post from Basketball Belgium’s account that supported Vanloo during this difficult stretch of events.

Dilemma

Regional differences, No breaks, See you later, Discussing decisions, Sabally stays put, All angles, Marine’s makes her call, Understanding, Thanks but no thanks, Unbelievable, Belgian basketball bond

Vanloo’s situation is going to be fascinating from the standpoint of the precedent it may set. Other WNBA players who are on the fringes of the league might decide against playing in EuroBasket if they feel like their team will cut them while they are away. It could dramatically change the calculus moving forward.

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