Sky end free agency with a bang, re-signing All-Star Courtney Vandersloot to multiyear deal
Asked last week if she planned to return to the Sky in 2020, Courtney Vandersloot tweeted “absolutely.”
The Sky concluded their major offseason moves on Tuesday with the highly anticipated re-signing of Courtney Vandersloot.
Vandersloot will return to the Sky for the 2020 season and beyond on a multiyear deal. Terms of her contract weren’t disclosed.
Asked last week if she planned to return to the Sky in 2020, Vandersloot tweeted “absolutely.” She also pledged her loyalty to the Sky numerous times over the last seven months.
“I’ve always envied people who stay with one franchise their whole career,” Vandersloot said in August. “For now, I’m Chicago for life.”
It’ll be her 10th season with the franchise who picked her third overall in 2011. She’s coming off an All-Star season during which she set the record for most assists in a single season (300). Vandersloot moved to the No. 1 spot on the WNBA’s all-time list when she recorded six double-doubles with assists bringing her total to 29. The spot was previously held by Sue Bird, who has 28 career double-doubles with assists.
Vandersloot had all the potential in the world to be successful in the WNBA but she lacked confidence early in her career. Then-coach Pokey Chatman pushed the former Gonzaga star out of her comfort zone and she eventually thrived as a leader of the team.
“After my first couple of years, they could’ve given up on me,” Vandersloot said of the Sky, “but they didn’t because they saw something.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs. Their loyalty to me means everything to me and I feel like I need to reciprocate that.”
General manger found a way to return most of the Sky’s 2019 team. Along with Vandersloot, the Sky re-signed starters Stefanie Dolson and Allie Quigley on multiyear deal. They also brought back Kahleah Copper and waved farewell to 2019 first-round pick Katie Lou Samuelson and center Astou Ndour, who were traded to the Dallas Wings in two separate deals. Jamierra Faulkner also announced this month that she would be sitting out the 2019 WNBA season to rehab her injured knee.
The Sky don’t expect to make anymore major moves this free agency, though Wade could sign players to training-camp contracts like he did with Alexis Prince last week. The Sky can have a maximum of 15 players at training camp, which opens April 26.
Vandersloot was the player who had the most influence in last season’s success, despite a costly mistake in the second round of the playoffs that ended the Sky’s season in heartbreaking fashion. She averaged 11.2 points, a league-leading 9.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds.
“We are thrilled to finish our free agency signings on a big note,” general manager James Wade said in a statement. “To have the All-WNBA First Team point guard and MVP candidate coming back to lead our ball club is huge for us. Last season was an incredible season for her and the Sky, so we’re looking forward to Sloot leading us to achieve our goals this season.”