Los Angeles Sparks Star Julie Allemand Confident Team Will “Shock Everyone” After All-Star Break
LOS ANGELES — As the second half of the 2025 WNBA season begins, the Los Angeles Sparks are stuck in the league’s most frustrating territory: too competitive to tank, yet too inconsistent to trust. But despite a rocky first half and a season defined by reshuffled lineups, injuries, and identity struggles, star guard Julie Allemand insists something is about to change — dramatically.
Through months of uneven performances, the Sparks have never found a stable rhythm. They’ve cycled through lineups, struggled to generate consistent offense and defense, and endured multiple losing streaks — two stretches of three straight losses and a brutal four-game slide — before finally catching momentum with two wins coming out of the All-Star break. Even mid-season additions, including the arrival of Julie Vanloo just before the break, have reinforced the sense of a roster constantly in flux.
But according to Allemand, that instability is finally ending.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports before L.A.’s 92–88 victory over the Connecticut Sun, Allemand said she believes the Sparks are on the brink of a major turnaround.
“After the All-Star Break, it’s going to be great because hopefully everybody will be back,” she said. “We’re going to have a healthy team. We can finally build something.”
Allemand emphasized that the team’s practices already feel different — higher energy, clearer structure, and a renewed sense of direction.
“We know that now this is our team,” she continued. “We could see it yesterday in practice — everything was better. The energy is different. I feel like people will not be ready for us. We’re going to be another team.”
Despite sitting near the bottom of the standings, Allemand insists there is still plenty of runway. With 24 games left, she believes a playoff push is not only possible — it’s within reach.
A major reason for her optimism: the impending return of rookie star Cameron Brink, who tore her ACL just 15 games into the season. Though the Sparks have not provided an exact return timeline, Brink is expected back in the coming weeks.
For Allemand, that changes everything.
“Just knowing she’s almost back brings so much energy,” Allemand said. “I know how great she is and how good she will be for this team. A little more patience, and then we’ll have her — it’s going to be amazing.”
Another source of stability is the addition of Vanloo, a familiar face for Allemand from their time together with the Belgian national team. The chemistry was immediate.
“Having Julie here is helping me a lot,” Allemand explained. “She shoots well, she plays with great pace, and she loves playing fast. That’s what we love to do, especially with Belgium.”
After returning from her own injury earlier in the season, Allemand admitted she needed time to regain rhythm. Playing with a trusted teammate like Vanloo — both on and off the court — has helped her settle back into form.
The Sparks, she added, still need to improve ball movement and maintain the high-energy identity they want to build. Vanloo’s arrival helps them move toward that style.
“She’s going to be great in this team,” Allemand said. “Just to have someone from your country here helps you so much. She helps me, and I help her. It’s special.”
Now, as the Sparks enter the crucial stretch of the season — with a playoff push still mathematically alive and Cameron Brink’s return approaching — Allemand believes the team’s future will be defined not by outside noise but by what happens inside the locker room.
Whether Los Angeles becomes a postseason threat or slips into lottery territory, one thing is clear: the Sparks finally feel like a team with direction — and Julie Allemand expects the rest of the league to feel it soon.
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