The Chicago Sky suffered a tough loss on Saturday against the Indiana Fever. Chicago lost 79-52 and fell to 2-5 on the year. To make matters worse, veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot was carried off the court after suffering what appeared to be a major knee injury.

Sky guard Hailey Van Lith shared her “heartbreaking” response to teammate Courtney Vandersloot's major injury.

“It's heartbreaking to watch anybody [get hurt], but especially one of your teammates and someone that means as much as Sloot does to our team and this organization,” Van Lith said. “Right now, we're giving her a lot of energy, praying for her. Whatever is in store in the future for this team, I trust that we will find a way to make this moment mean something in the end. We're very concerned, and our hearts go out to Sloot.”

Vandersloot suffered the injury during the first quarter while driving to the basket. She was helped off the court and quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Van Lith was forced to step up and play 26 minutes in relief of Vandersloot. The rookie played well, logging seven points and two rebounds. Unfortunately, the Sky were not themselves without Vandersloot on the court.

Chicago shot 32.1% from the field, had 21 turnovers, and lost the rebound battle against Indiana.

When will Courtney Vandersloot return for the Sky?

Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) controls the ball during the second half against the Dallas Wings at the Wintrust Arena.
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Now the natural next question is: when will Courtney Vandersloot return to the court?

Sky head coach Tyler Marsh did not offer an update on Vandersloot's health after the game. However, he did speak to how important Vandersloot is to the entire team.

“She's our engine,” Marsh said. “She's our captain and our leader out there, so obviously, it's a huge blow. But hopefully, it's not as serious as we may think. We're hoping she is able to bounce back, but for the time being, we all got to pick her up. We all got to lift her up; we all got to lift each other up.”

Vandersloot is playing in her 15th WNBA season. If her knee injury is serious, it could put the rest of her career in jeopardy.

Hopefully Vandersloot can return and lead the Sky on a comeback later this season.

Next up for the Sky is a trip to New York to take on the undefeated Liberty on Tuesday night.