MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 18: Courtney Vandersloot #22 of the New York Liberty drives to the basket past Natisha Hiedeman #2 of the Minnesota Lynx in the third quarter of Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on October 18, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lynx defeated the Liberty 82-80. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)David Berding/Getty Images
Jan 30, 2025
After her 2024 championship run with the New York Liberty, Courtney Vandersloot is returning to her former team.
Per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile, Vandersloot is expected to sign with the Chicago Sky in free agency following a two-year stint with the New York Liberty. Vandersloot spent the first 12 seasons of her career in Chicago.
Vandersloot went to Chicago with the No. 3 pick in the 2011 draft out of Gonzaga. She was an All-Star as a rookie and earned All-Rookie Team honors after putting up 6.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.
Vandersloot was pivotal in the Sky’s WNBA Finals appearance in 2014, averaging 6.8 points and leading the league in assists with 5.7 per game. Vandersloot’s best season of her career came in 2020 when she put up 13.6 points and 10 assists per game, once again leading the league in assists.
While Vandersloot and Chicago came up short in the Finals in 2014, the Sky went on to win a championship seven years later in 2021 when Candace Parker joined her hometown squad.
The Sky’s roster will look much different than it did the last time Vandersloot was in town. Rather than having a legend like Parker in the paint, she’ll team up with a rising star in Angel Reese.
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is coming off a season in which she put up 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, rivaling Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark for Rookie of the Year. Reese’s season was cut short due to an injury, but she’ll look to bounce back strong in Year 2.
Chicago will also have a new coach in 2025 after the team fired Teresa Weatherspoon following her one season at the helm. Tyler Marsh, a former assistant for the Las Vegas Aces, will take over this season and look to guide the Sky back to the playoffs.
Having a veteran like Vandersloot, the franchise’s all-time assists leader, should help Chicago achieve plenty of success.
