Courtney Vandersloot: Phenomenal Freshman

Courtney Vandersloot was selected by the Sky with the third overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft. Vandersloot, a 5-8 point guard from Gonzaga, was the first ever Division I player--man or woman--to notch more than 2000 points and 1000 assists in a career. After leading Gonzaga to multiple NCAA tournaments, Vandersloot was a highly anticipated rookie coming out of college and ready to set her sights on the WNBA.

Vandersloot lived up to the hype by the second game of the season. In the home opener versus Connecticut, Courtney scored 18 points, had five assists and was 4-of-4 from three-point range. She tied a team record by hitting three three-pointers in the first quarter.

�I really wasn�t nervous, which I tend to do before games,� Vandersloot commented after playing her first game. �Everybody is just confident and ready to get out there, enjoy it and win.�

Sky fans definitely enjoyed watching Courtney play. By the end of the season, Vandersloot averaged 6.5 points and 3.7 assists per game in 34 games. She even set the Sky�s single-season assist record with 124. Vandersloot had seven double-digit scoring games and registered an assist in every game except one.

If that wasn�t enough for Vandersloot, she also added this to her rookie resume: selected to the WNBA�s 2011 Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve where she was joined by teammates Sylvia Fowles and Eppiphany Prince and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team as well as being named to the 2012 USA National Player Pool.

Courtney will spend her off-season further improving her game playing for Besiktas in the FIBA Eurocup and Turkish League. Vandersloot�s future is looking bright with the Chicago Sky and we cant wait to see her hit the court for her sophomore season.