After losing Courtney Vandersloot to an ACL injury, the Chicago Sky are in desperate need of some extra playmaking. Angel Reese has stepped up as a facilitator, leading the team in assists per game with 3.8. Reese also needs someone to get her the ball, though.
Ariel Atkins ranks second in assists per game on the Sky’s roster with 3.4, followed by Rachel Banham with 2.2. Banham has slid into the starting point guard spot in Vandersloot’s absence. She’s been solid, especially considering that she is more of a 3-point specialist than a point guard. She rarely turns the ball over and has significantly upped her assist numbers recently. Over her last five games, Banham totalled 19 assists and only turned the ball over five times.
Still, even with Banham playing well and rookie Hailey Van Lith coming off the bench, the Sky could use a traditional veteran point guard. The Sky can either bet on Moriah Jefferson making a solid recovery from the injury that kept her out until recently or go after Julie Vanloo, who was just waived by the Valkyries.
The Valkyries waived Julie Vanloo upon her return from EuroBasket
Julie Vanloo left the Valkyries to suit up for the Belgian national team in EuroBasket after playing just nine games for Golden State. Upon her return after winning gold, Vanloo was immediately waived by the Valkyries. The move was not well received, especially considering that Vanloo missed her team’s celebration in Belgium to rejoin the Valkyries as soon as possible.
Now, Vanloo can either pursue a new WNBA contract with another team or sit out the rest of the season and try to make her comeback next season. If she wants to join another WNBA team, the Sky could be an option.
Vanloo can be a solid veteran point guard in the WNBA
Vanloo may only have 49 games of WNBA experience under her belt, but she is a proven veteran. She has plenty of experience playing professionally in Europe and with the Belgian national team.
In the 2024-25 season, Vanloo averaged 12.5 points, three rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for Galatasaray in the Turkish league. Her WNBA stats don’t look quite as good this season. Over nine games, Vanloo averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Her 3-point shot didn’t fall consistently and she struggled with turnovers. The latter was an overall issue for a Valkyries team lacking chemistry, though. The Valkyries averaged a league-worst 18.2 turnovers in May, contributing to Vanloo’s concerning assist-to-turnover ratio.
Vanloo’s stats with the Valkyries may not look great, but she can still be a solid point guard at the WNBA level. For the Sky, she could provide some valuable playmaking off the bench, especially if Jefferson struggles to perform after her lengthy absence and Van Lith cannot convince the coaching staff to give her a bigger role.
For a while, it seemed that Van Lith had carved out a role with the Sky, but her minutes have still been up and down. After playing over 20 minutes for three consecutive games, Van Lith only saw eight minutes against Atlanta, 14 minutes in a win over the Sparks, 13 minutes against the Valkyries, and five minutes in the Sky’s most recent game against the Sparks.