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WNBA Veteran Courtney Vandersloot to Return to Chicago Sky

The 5-time All-Star returns to Chicago after a two-year stint with New York.
Samara Elster|
Oct 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) drives past Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the second half of game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) drives past Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the second half of game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

After winning a WNBA championship with the New York Liberty this past season, Courtney Vandersloot is heading back to Chicago.

As first reported by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, the 14-year veteran is expected to sign with the Sky, where she also won a WNBA title previously.

Chicago drafted Vandersloot back in 2011 and she went on to become the franchise's all-time assist leader (she currently sits at second in league history). Her time in Chicago was impactful as she helped the Sky win their first WNBA title in 2021.

As a veteran now, Vandersloot can provide leadership to the young Chicago team, including Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Which should make her an asset to new head coach Tyler Marsh. So while she is coming to a completely different team compared to the Liberty, she is set to bring a steadying influence as a lead guard.

The five-time All-Star wasted no time in making her destination clear publicly, as Vandersloot has already updated her Instagram bio to reflect her return to the Sky.

The Sky still hold the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which should help them make another significant roster addition beyond Vandersloot.

Vandersloot has led the league in assists seven times. Last season, she averaged averaged 6.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 22 minutes of action per game.

Vandersloot obviously aided the Liberty as a dependable presence, but it was in a reduced role. Expect her to command a much larger share of the offense with her move back to Chicago and fit amongst the young Sky core.

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Samara Elster
SAMARA ELSTER

Samara Elster covers basketball for Women’s Fastbreak on SI. She has extensively covered a variety of the sports teams at Indiana University with a focus on the women's basketball team. Samara has experience as a beat reporter covering the ins and outs of a team and handling the stories that emerge from that role. Her concentration on sports journalism at IU combined with her enthusiasm for the media industry drove her to pursue a career covering sports.

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