After being signed by the Golden State Valkyries, getting waived, and then re-signed, we expected that Kaitlyn Chen would be waived yet again when players returned back from the Eurobasket tournament. As it turns out, Kaitlyn Chen remains on the Valkyries, at least for now. Her retention also came with some controversy.
While keeping Chen, the Valkyries waived players Julie Vanloo, Chloe Bibby, and Bree Hall. Letting Julie Vanloo go was painful for fans and especially Vanloo. She had won the Eurobasket tournament with Belgium and was a starter. She missed the Belgium team’s victory parade as she flew 18 hours to get back to the Bay Area, only to learn that she lost her job. The Valkyries ended up being heavily criticized for this move – here is one example:
Fucking disgusting @valkyries, couldn’t waive Julie Vanloo just a day earlier? Than she could celebrate with her Belgian Cats, the back 2 back European Champs, who got a fabulous reception from our King & Queen and the fans in Brussel!
🖕🏻 #WNBA #Valkyries pic.twitter.com/Un2YPdCCYO
— M Van Eeckhoven (@Matthias_VE) June 30, 2025
Fortunately for her, Julie Vansoo managed to land with the LA Sparks.
Some point to this incident as a key problem with the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement with its players. The NBA has 15 players on its roster in addition to spaces for players on two way contracts (they switch between the NBA and its development league). WNBA teams have a maximum of 12 players.
WNBA first round draft pick, French Center Iliana Rupert, is said to finally join the Valkyries in mid-July. To make room for her, the Valkyries need to waive one more player. While Kaitlyn Chen Remains on the Valkyries, it remains to be seen how long that is the case.
