In the Sky’s first game at the ‘House That Jordan Built, one of their worst fears became a reality.
The first WNBA game at the United Center got off to an unfortunate start when Chicago Sky point guard and franchise icon Courtney Vandersloot went down with a catastrophic knee injury just minutes into the team’s matchup against their archrival, the Indiana Fever.
Less than five minutes into the game, Vandersloot was driving to the hole when she collapsed to the floor and clutched her right knee in agonizing pain.
Vandersloot remained on the floor for a brief period while her teammates and the Sky’s medical staff surrounded her. She was eventually carried off the floor, unable to bear any weight on her leg and taken straight to the locker room. Shortly after the incident, it was not a shock when the Sky announced that Vandersloot would not return to the game.
“She’s our engine,” Chicago first-year coach Tyler Marsh said Saturday before the seriousness of Vandersloot’s injury was known. “She’s our captain and our leader out there, so obviously, it’s a huge blow. But hopefully, it’s not as serious as we may think. We’re hoping she is able to bounce back, but for the time being, we all got to pick her up. We all got to lift her up; we all got to lift each other up.”
Vandersloot was drafted by the Sky with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft and spent her first 12 seasons with the organization. She made four All-Star appearances and five All-WNBA teams during her first stint in Chicago, and helped the Sky win the first championship in franchise history in 2021, alongside Candace Parker.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 2023, Vandersloot made the tough choice to leave Chicago and signed with the New York Liberty in free agency. During her two seasons in Brooklyn, she helped the Liberty make back-to-back Finals appearances and win their first title in 2024 over the Minnesota Lynx in five hard-fought games. She assumed a bench role and was removed from the Liberty’s starting lineup during the 2024 playoffs, though, and was not going to regain her spot this season.
Instead of remaining in New York as a back-up, Vandersloot decided to return to the ‘Windy City’ in free agency this winter and assumed the Sky’s starting point guard role. Vandersloot was one of several veterans the team brought in this offseason and has been a key figure on the court as well as in the locker room.
It is too early to determine how long Vandersloot may be sidelined, but the initial reaction and report was not encouraging. If she is out for an extended period, that would be a huge blow for the rebuilding Sky, and in particular their young bigs, Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese.
Vandersloot is the Sky’s all-time leader in games played (364), points (3,743), assists (2,424) and steals (468). In other words, she does just about everything.
The loss of Vandersloot likely means 2025 first-round draft pick Hailey Van Lith from TCU will be asked to carry much more of the load. The Sky also have veteran point guard Moriah Jefferson on the roster, but she has yet to make her regular-season debut because of injury.
“It’s heartbreaking to watch anybody [get hurt], but especially one of your teammates and someone that means as much as Sloot does to our team and this organization,” Van Lith said Saturday. “Right now, we’re giving her a lot of energy, praying for her. Whatever is in store in the future for this team, I trust that we will find a way to make this moment mean something in the end. We’re very concerned, and our hearts go out to Sloot.”
