Julie Vanloo sends Stephen Curry message to Steve Kerr during Valkyries inaugural game

After channeling the spirit of Curry, Vanloo revealed after the game that it was actually Steve Kerr who inspired her personal 9-0 run in the 3rd quarter.

“Right before I had that little moment, I saw Steve Kerr. I don’t know, I just kind of got hyped. I was like, ‘Oh my god, Steve Kerr’s here, let me show you something,'” Vanloo joked. Her retelling of the moment received a laugh from everyone in the press room. “I’m just kidding. It’s true, but I was just playing my game. It was an amazing moment. The crowd was amazing, it just goes to your veins and your whole body.”

Kerr also shared his side of the Vanloo flurry. In an interview with Matt Lively of KPIX, Kerr revealed what Vanloo said to him during that moment.

“She came over and she told me, ‘If Steph gets hurt, I’ll be ready for you.’ It was fun watching her, those three in a row were incredible,” Kerr laughed. The Warriors’ head coach also talked about the experience of watching the Valkyries. “What an incredible vibe out there. The fans were so into it. The colors, the energy, it was a beautiful night. I know it was a tough loss, but the wins will come. This was a great way to start, though.”

Despite Vanloo capturing the signature moment of the Valkyries’ home opener, it wasn’t enough to catch the Sparks. Los Angeles pulled away thanks to Kelsey Plum’s game-high 37 points, taking down the Valkyries 84-67. In the same press conference, Vanloo was critical of her performance despite the fun moment.

“I’m hard on myself, and I know that tonight I’m not going to think about those three 3s. I’m going to think about those six turnovers because I’m a point guard. I cannot have six turnovers,” Vanloo said.

As self-aware as Vanloo was about herself, turnovers were a team-wide issue. The Valkyries had 22 turnovers, and it kept the Sparks in the game long enough for Plum to get hot with 17 points in the third quarter.

Still, it’s the very first game in the Valkyries organization. The team has time to fix those kinds of mistakes. And Vanloo’s already said she’s going to be better.

“It was a good moment, but I need to learn from my mistakes.”