After a record-setting career at Gonzaga, where she recorded 2,000 points and 1,000 assists, Courtney Vandersloot was destined for greatness in the WNBA. She has been a huge contributor to the Sky ever since she was drafted as the third overall pick in 2011 and continues to add to the team’s success.
In her 2011 season she played in all 34 games, starting in 26 of them and played 777 minutes. Vandersloot racked up an impressive 220 total points during the 2011 season. She averaged 2.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, leading to her making the WNBA All-Star team as a reserve player for the East. During the All-Star game, Courtney contributed eight points, dished out two assists and grabbed three rebounds during 13 minutes of playing time. She ranked first in Sky history with 124 assists in a single season for the Sky.
Following an impressive start to Vandersloot’s WNBA career, she continued to improve and keep her fire on the court alive in the 2012 season. Courtney dished out an astounding 157 assists, ranking fourth in the WNBA that season. Furthermore, she recorded a career and franchise high of 11 assists at Connecticut on August 26, 2012 where the Sky went on to win 82-70. She also finished with a career-high five three-pointers on August 24th. Needless to say, Courtney was proving that she is an asset to the Sky team.
In 2013, Vandersloot started all 33 games played and continued to break records including her own Sky record for assists in a season. She finished off 2013 with 162 assists and recorded 10 assists in the game against Atlanta on August 31st. During the course of the season she has 12 games with seven or more assists. Courtney also broke the record for blocks by a guard in WNBA season with 28 blocks. She led in both total blocks and blocks per game.
Vandersloot only appeared in 17 games in the 2014 season due to injury but still managed to average 6.8 ppg and 6.0 apg. Courtney also set the Sky record for assists in a single game with 13 assists on May 15 vs. Connecticut. In the 2014 she was tied at number one in assists per game (5.6) in the league with Diana Taurasi. Her hard work earned the 8th spot in WNBA league history for career assists per game. Even though she may have had a shorter season, she still made her impact on the team and in the league.
Courtney has a pivotal role on the Sky and continues to add toward to team’s success in the 2015 season. So far this season, has reached 1,000 points in her WNBA career against Atlanta on June 19th, recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and a season-high 10 assists vs. New York on June 30th, and currently resides as fourth in assists per game in the league.
Throughout her five seasons with the Sky, Vandersloot has lived up to the hype of being a top five overall draft pick. Her hard work has paid off to be honored as a Top Ten player in Chicago Sky history.