5 hours ago
20
Michael VoepelJun 7, 2025, 08:51 PM ET
- Michael Voepel is simply a elder writer who covers the WNBA, women's assemblage hoops and different assemblage sports. Voepel began covering women's hoops successful 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
CHICAGO -- Sky constituent defender Courtney Vandersloot suffered a close genu wounded successful the archetypal 4th and was ruled retired for the remainder of Saturday's 79-52 nonaccomplishment to the Indiana Fever.
Vandersloot was driving to the handbasket and went down with 5:29 near successful the archetypal quarter. She was rapidly surrounded by her teammates and past carried disconnected the court.
"She's our engine," Sky manager Tyler Marsh said. "She's our skipper and our person retired there, truthful evidently it's a immense blow. But hopefully it's not arsenic superior arsenic we whitethorn think. We're hoping she is capable to bounce back, but for the clip being we each gotta prime her up. We each gotta assistance her up, we each gotta assistance each different up."
Vandersloot, 36, is successful her 15th play successful the league. The No. 3 draught prime successful 2011 by Chicago, she spent the archetypal 12 years of her vocation with the Sky, winning the 2021 WNBA title. Vandersloot went to the New York Liberty successful 2023 and 2024 and won different league title past year.
She returned to Chicago this twelvemonth arsenic the seasoned defender beingness the squad wanted on with second-year station players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Vandersloot is the WNBA's progressive vocation person successful assists with 2,886, trailing lone retired erstwhile Seattle Storm defender Sue Bird (3,234). Vandersloot has led the league successful assists 5 times.
The Sky and Fever played the archetypal WNBA crippled astatine United Center.
English (US) ·