Courtney Vandersloot Proclaims She Will not Return to Chicago Sky After 12 Seasons

4-time WNBA All-Star guard Courtney Vandersloot introduced on social media that her 12-year run with the Chicago Sky has come to an finish.

Her assertion closed as follows:

“Though I by no means deliberate for today to come back, I’ve determined that’s time for me to pursue a brand new starting. I’ll endlessly be thankful for the recollections I’ve made throughout my time right here. As I look forward to a brand new chapter, with a brand new workforce, in a brand new metropolis, know that Chicago, its followers, and the Sky group will at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart.”

The Sky chosen Vandersloot with the third general choose within the 2011 WNBA draft out of Gonzaga. She helped information the Sky to their first WNBA championship in 2021 because of 13.0 factors and 10.2 assists per playoff sport.

Her particular person accolades additionally embody two All-WNBA first-team recognitions and three All-WNBA second-team honors. She additionally led the WNBA in assists six instances, together with 5 straight seasons from 2017-2021.

Vandersloot is the WNBA’s all-time chief in profession assists per sport (6.6) and single-season assists per sport (10.0, in 2020). Her 2,386 assists rank third all time behind Sue Chook and Ticha Penicheiro.

Vandersloot entered this offseason as a free agent, and rumors have circulated concerning her potential exit. Howard Megdal on the Locked on Girls’s Basketball podcast reported that Vandersloot and the New York Liberty have “mutual curiosity.”

An X-factor right here is the free-agency determination of famous person Breanna Stewart, who has narrowed her selections right down to the Seattle Storm or Liberty, per M.A. Voepel of ESPN.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne beforehand talked about that Vandersloot’s and Stewart’s selections may very well be tied collectively.

Vandersloot is reportedly down to selecting the Liberty, Storm or Minnesota Lynx, per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Solar-Occasions. Signing with the Storm would imply a house state return for Vandersloot, who was born and raised in Kent, Washington, and went to varsity in Spokane, the place Gonzaga is situated.

No matter the place Vandersloot finally ends up, that is powerful information for the Sky, who already noticed famous person ahead Candace Parker announce her intention to go away for the Las Vegas Aces in free company.

Vandersloot’s determination might additionally conceivably imply the Chicago finish for sharpshooting free-agent guard Allie Quigley, who’s married to Vandersloot. Quigley averaged 11.4 factors per sport final yr, her tenth with the Sky and 14th within the league.

Emma Meesseman, who was third on the Sky with 12.4 factors per sport, can be a free agent.

For now, the ready sport continues concerning many gamers’ WNBA futures. Within the interim, although, Vandersloot has began one other new chapter abroad after signing with Turkish workforce Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding, which already has Stewart and Meesseman on the roster.