Sometimes, we get wind of free agent developments prior to when they take place. This WNBA free agency period, we got wind of said developments prior to the official free agency start date of Feb. 1.
And one of those developments involves one of the W’s premier veteran point guards returning to the team and city that she was synonymous with many years.
That was Courtney Vandersloot. Fresh off of being part of the 2024 rendition of the New York Liberty that finally brought a WNBA championship to the W’s flagship city, Sloot is reportedly about to make her grand return to the Sky.
In fact, she practically confirmed the reported news by once again putting “Chicago Sky” in her Instagram bio.
To see that Vandersloot is another marquee name that will be signing with another team is no surprise – and, in her case, she gets to return to her old stomping grounds. Even though she was an integral part of the Liberty’s 2024 championship, her numbers last season were very un-Vandersloot like. She played in 31 games but only averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 assists. Not to mention when she takes the court in Chicago for the 2025 season, Vandersloot will be 36 years old.
There was chatter of her being dealt in a trade in similar fashion the way Kelsey Plum (also an unrestricted free agent) was dealt from the Las Vegas Aces to the Los Angeles Sparks in that three-team deal that saw Jewell Loyd get sent to the Aces. The third team in that arrangement was the Seattle Storm. If there were trade talks between Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca and Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb, one could make a strong case that Chicago would have been fleeced.
As sentimental a favorite as Vandersloot is in the Windy City, 35 years old is typically an elder stateswoman age in sports terms. Not to mention the rumblings that the Sky could have possibly traded the No. 3 overall selection to the Liberty in order to land Vandersloot.
Dealing a lottery pick to the defending champions for a soon-to-be 36-year-old Vandersloot who showed signs of decline last season would not only look questionable from a basketball standpoint, but would likely get Pagliocca dirty looks from other teams. Why make one of the “rich” teams in the Liberty even richer?
This would have especially been the case if someone such as Olivia Miles (Notre Dame) was available to be chosen third overall. Miles would be a fan favorite in Skytown given the large Notre Dame fanbase that resides in Chicago.
To be fair, Vandersloot did not have to do as much at this stage of her career so she could average 6.4 points and 4.8 assists without it being too big of a concern. After all – she had Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and eventual Finals MVP Jonquel Jones around her.
Where this move has the potential to work out for the Sky is with her veteran presence. It appears the team is moving away from Chennedy Carter despite putting up career numbers in 2024. Carter averaged 17.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in the 33 games she played.
Vandersloot could be exactly what the Sky need to take rising stars such as Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso under her wing. And she may actually have the opportunity to log starting minutes in Chicago where with other teams she would have had to come off the bench as a sixth woman ala where Allen Iverson was late in his NBA career.
As for the Liberty, it makes sense to move on given the franchise’s 28-year mission was finally accomplished last season. It makes even more sense because New York was reportedly one of the two teams in on the Satou Sabally sweepstakes. The other team was the Phoenix Mercury – which ultimately won said sweepstakes.
The gravitational pull for Sabally to Atlantic and Flatbush was massive. She is another star player that has supposedly had her fill of the Dallas Wings. Not to mention her sister Nyara already wears seafoam, black and copper as does Ionescu. The Saballys and Ionescu were teammates at Oregon.
The real question is what would the Liberty would have sent Dallas’ way. Perhaps Curt Miller would have wanted either Laney-Hamilton or Leonie Fiebich and that was simply too great a price for New York general manager Jonathan Kolb.
It would have been a tough pill for Lib Loyals to swallow if they would have had to say farewell to Laney-Hamilton to get the Unicorn. Not only did she play her college ball on the other side of the Hudson River at Rutgers, but she revitalized her career with the Liberty after being passed over by three other teams – the Sky, Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream. She and Ionescu were the initial building blocks that brought the Liberty back to enjoy the basketball riches it does today.
Back to Vandersloot – she will get a much deserved heroes’ return on May 22 when the Sky open its 2025 home schedule – ironically against the Liberty. And it makes sense for Chicago than other teams given that young core. Hopefully for her and the Sky she locates the (Buckingham) fountain of youth.
