The Chicago Sky suffered a crushing 85–66 loss to the New York Liberty at Barclays Center, falling to a 2–6 record. The team continues to struggle after losing two-time WNBA champion Courtney Vandersloot, who tore her ACL in the first quarter of a 79–52 blowout against the Indiana Fever. Angel Reese broke her silence regarding losing Vandersloot to injury.

In the aftermath, All-Star rookie Angel Reese spoke publicly about Vandersloot’s injury. “It’s super unfortunate,” she said. “She works really hard, was a great leader for us, and she’s continued to be that for us.” Reese added, “She’s done so much for our game and decided to leave a championship team, come to Chicago, and leave her legacy here.”

From the beginning of her career, Vandersloot made an immediate impact. The Sky drafted her third overall in 2011, and she quickly secured the starting point guard role. She earned All-Star recognition and a spot on the All-Rookie Team during her debut season. In 2014, she helped lead the Sky to their first WNBA Finals appearance, though they lost to Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. Vandersloot’s standout moment came in 2021 when she led Chicago to its first WNBA title, ironically by defeating the Mercury.

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After spending ten seasons in Chicago, Vandersloot signed with the New York Liberty. In 2024, she helped the team win the championship in an overtime thriller against the Minnesota Lynx. The following year, she returned to the Sky, bringing back her leadership and experience.

Over her career, Courtney Vandersloot has solidified her place among the league’s best point guards. She earned five All-Star selections (2011, 2019, 2021–2023) and led the WNBA in assists seven times. In 2020, she set a league record with 10.0 assists per game. She also holds the WNBA records for career assists per game and total playoff assists.

So far this season, the Sky have struggled to find their rhythm. They dropped four of their first five games, suffering blowout losses to Indiana (93–58), New York (99–74), and Los Angeles (91–78). Their closest call came in a 94–89 loss to Phoenix. Afterward, they briefly rebounded with two wins over the Dallas Wings. However, back-to-back defeats to the Fever and Liberty pushed them back down the standings.

Next, Chicago will face the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena. Atlanta, currently 6–3, sits just behind New York in the standings. With the season on the line, can Angel Reese provide the spark the Sky need?