The Galatasaray guard is also one of the top stars on the Belgium women’s national basketball team.
On Thursday, the Washington Mystics announced that they have signed Galatasaray point guard Julie Vanloo (pronounced “Von-low”) to a training camp contract.
In Turkish KBSL play, Vanloo is averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 assists per game. Galatasaray is also playing EuroCup Women, where Vanloo is averaging 11.2 points and 9.0 assists per game. Vanloo is averaging 40 percent from three in KBSL play and is a very strong playmaker regardless of the competition.
Mystics fans will be familiar with Vanloo as one of Emma Meesseman’s sidekicks on the Belgium women’s national basketball team since the mid 2010s. She has played in nearly every major competition the Cats have been in, including the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and Women’s EuroBasket 2023, where the Cats won the Gold Medal. Vanloo averaged 16.2 points, 3.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds in that tournament.
Here is General Manager Mike Thibault’s statement:
“We have been following Julie’s international career for some time and the timing is right to bring her to the Mystics. A terrific shooter who can play both guard spots, she has been a key player for the Belgian National Team during their rise to the top tier of international teams.”
I have been curious to see what Vanloo could bring in WNBA competition ever since the Cats started making Women’s EuroBasket back in 2017. Now, like Meesseman, Vanloo is in her prime at the age of 30. She has a real chance to make the Mystics’ roster and be a replacement for the recently departed Kristi Toliver and Natasha Cloud. And I think Vanloo can become one of the Mystics’ fan favorites.
Welkom in Washington, Julie!