LOS ANGELES — Newly acquired point guard Julie Allemand is known as a dynamic passer, with the ability to make the game easier for her teammates, according to Sparks coach Curt Miller.
“She makes everything easier,” Miller continued. “That’s the best way to describe Julie. She makes everyone’s job easier and she does it with flair or sizzle, whatever term you want to use. She is a terrific table-setter for players. I’m going to challenge her to score more. I’m going to challenge her to shoot more but she is a terrific passer with flair.”
Allemand, who finished second in the league in assists (5.8 per game) as a rookie with the Indiana Fever in 2020, said her game is defined by passion.
“I like to play with emotion, to share it with everybody like the fans for example,” Allemand said during a virtual press conference Thursday afternoon. “I want them to feel involved in the game.
“I want them to be happy with us but also sad with us if we lose a game. I want them to get involved and I want everybody to get involved in the game and in the wins because I like the mentality that I’m on the court to win. I don’t want to lose games.”
The 27-year-old is a starter on the Belgium women’s national basketball team that recently qualified for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
“I’m glad I’m coaching Julie and not coaching against her. That was nerve-wracking preparing for Belgium overseas,” said Miller, who is an assistant coach with the U.S. women’s national team.
The WNBA’s Olympic Break is scheduled for July 21-Aug. 14.
During Allemand’s two seasons in the WNBA, with Indiana in 2020 and the Chicago Sky in 2022, she has averaged 5.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds per game. She was a third-round pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft and was named to the 2020 All-Rookie Team with Indiana, when she averaged a career-high 8.5 points and 5.8 assists per game, which was the second-highest average in the league behind Courtney Vandersloot during the WNBA’s bubble season in Bradenton, Florida.
Allemand, who expects to join the Sparks in mid-May immediately after her current season ends in Lyon, France, is looking forward to an expanded role on and off the court with the Sparks, who open their season on May 14.
“I hope that I won’t miss a lot of games,” Allemand said.
“She’s a winner,” Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said. “She wins … she holds herself accountable to a high level and I think great leaders start with how they view themselves, how they hold themselves accountable and it becomes really contagious.”
Allemand, 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru and a 2025 third-round draft pick were acquired from Chicago in exchange for the No. 8 pick in the 2024 Draft, which was previously acquired from the Atlanta Dream along with Aari McDonald in a trade involving point guard Jordin Canada.
The Sparks, who finished 17-23 last season and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, currently have 15 players under contract, while still holding the rights to two lottery picks (No. 2, No. 4) in the April 15 draft. A maximum of 18 players can participate in training camp, which begins on April 28.
