LOS ANGELES -- Julie Allemand didn’t light up the scoreboard, but she controlled the game, and everyone took notice.
“Julie has been unbelievable,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said after Allemand’s season-best 10-assist performance against the Washington Mystics. “Ten assists and one turnover. She’s had just three turnovers total in the last four games. That’s ridiculous. And she was +22 with only three points, that’s hard to do. Her value cannot be understated.”
Allemand has quietly become the engine behind L.A.'s offense, providing pace, poise, and unselfish play. And she feels like she’s finally settling into her role.
“I feel more like a true point guard on this team,” Allemand said before the game. “It’s going to help us get wins. I know we’re still down in the standings, but if we play like we did to start the Connecticut game, that’s how we have to play every time.”
Her focus? Keep the ball moving, attack the paint, and trust the system. “We can run. And sharing the ball, that’s really important. Every time we’ve won, we’ve scored more points in the paint. We know we have to go to the basket.”
Allemand also hopes her chemistry with fellow Belgian guard Julie Vanloo becomes a bigger part of the team’s identity. “I just hope the coach plays us together a little more,” she said. “We have a big connection. We’ve shown it before. We can really help the team win.”
For now, Allemand is doing what great point guards do: making everyone around her better, and she will be crucial in the second half of the season.