What Happened to Courtney Vandersloot? Scary injury Rules Her Out of Indiana Fever vs Chicago Sky

It was supposed to be Chicago’s one shot at redemption. A grand return to the United Center to face their biggest rivals, the Fever, in front of a roaring home crowd. For Courtney Vandersloot, it meant even more. After winning a title with the Liberty in 2024 but losing her starting role, she chose to come home. Instead of riding the bench in Brooklyn. Earlier this season, she even claimed the franchise’s all-time scoring title while surpassing her wife and fellow Chicago legend Allie Quigley in the process. Naturally, the Sky were hoping to witness that spirit of hers, and they did look high. Vandersloot even opened the scoring for Chicago. However, it all came crashing down just too soon.

With young stars like Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese looking up to her, Vandersloot’s veteran presence was really essential. That’s what made Saturday night such a devastating one. She collapsed while driving to the basket, within less than five minutes into Chicago’s long-anticipated showdown against the Indiana Fever. She immediately grabbed her right knee and cried out in pain.

The trainers rushed to her side. Then, just moments later, they carried her off the court and ruled her out for the remainder of the game. She then did not return for the rest of the game. However, the fans can cling to a ray of hope that Tyler Marsh shared. He said, “Still assessing the injury and we’ll have more information soon.” For now, the fans are just praying that it’s not an ACL tear. Just imagine the heartbreak of a player who has given 15 seasons to the WNBA, 12 of them in a Sky jersey. Honestly, everyone in the arena felt it.

Status alert: Courtney Vandersloot (knee) won’t return Saturday.

— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 8, 2025

More than anyone, her teammates understood the situation. Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith said, “It’s heartbreaking to watch anybody but especially one of your teammates and someone who means so much to us as Sloot does.” That’s the kind of support that matters in moments like this. Without letting the pessimism take over, she continued, “Whatever’s in store for the future of this team, we’ll make this moment mean something in the end.” But however motivated the rest of the squad is, for Vandersloot, it must have still stung hard.

She had just recalled what ex Chicago coach Pokey Chatman had said in their exit meeting following another playoff loss to Indiana. “Why can’t we beat Indiana?” That question still stuck with her. “There’s an added layer now with Angel and Caitlin,” Vandersloot told Front Office Sports before the game. “But they kicked our ass the first game. So, it’s feeling less like a rivalry and more like what we had in the past. We have to turn that around and make sure we’re competing and winning against the Fever.”

Interestingly, Pokey Chatman went on to even coach Fever after her time with the Sky, so basically, a double sting for Courtney Vandersloot. To avoid that, the Sky must regroup without their floor general now. The pressure will be on HVL, as it seemed during the game. She was always supposed to be this successor to Vandersloot, however, she surely did not think the moment would come so soon.

Saturday’s game unraveled quickly for the Sky. Hailey Van Lith was thrust into the point guard role and struggled to find her footing. She managed just seven points, committed three turnovers, and didn’t register a single assist. Defensively, she was outpaced by Kelsey Mitchell, who capitalized on the space given and dropped a game-high 17 points.

But the Sky’s issues ran deeper than just Van Lith’s struggles. Without their veteran, the team lacked cohesion and direction on both ends of the floor. The offensive rhythm crumbled as Chicago finished with a dismal 11 assists and 21 turnovers. Their emphasis on perimeter shooting faded as they attempted just 15 threes, sinking only three (20%).

Defensively, the pressure was nearly nonexistent. Indiana capitalized, shooting an efficient 45.8% from the field (27-of-59), even while resting starters through most of the fourth quarter. And the Fever did all this without Caitlin Clark, who remained out for a fourth consecutive game due to a quad strain. It is bound to hurt.

Now, there is little time for Tyler Marsh to rethink his strategies. However, he is not losing hope. “(Vandersloot) is our engine, she’s our captain, she’s our leader out there,” Marsh said. “Obviously it’s a huge blow. Hopefully it’s not as serious as we may think. We’re hoping that she is able to bounce back, but for the time being we all got to pick her up, lift her up, lift each other up.”

Courtney Vandersloot’s Contribution

Before leaving this highly anticipated Fever matchup with an injury, Courtney Vandersloot had settled into her usual rhythm. She scored Chicago’s first bucket and was already dictating the pace of the game. She didn’t let her brief five-minute appearance go to waste. She managed to put up 2 points while running the Sky’s offense. It’s something she’s done effortlessly for 15 seasons.

Moreover, heading into this matchup, Courtney Vandersloot had been a steady presence amidst Chicago’s inconsistent start. Through six games, she was putting up 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the field. Even though her three-point shot hadn’t quite found its groove (just 21.7%), she was still the engine of the offense. So much so that even the opponent could not help but acknowledge her prowess.

“I don’t know the extent of it, but we’re definitely thinking about her,” said acting Fever coach Austin Kelly, who stepped in for Stephanie White on Saturday. “Over the last couple of years we’ve had some battles when we were in Connecticut and she was in New York. I have such a huge amount of respect [for Vandersloot] and I’m sure the players in our locker room do as well. We never want to see that.”

She led the team in assists and plus-minus multiple times, just like she would have, today. Now, her absence leaves a massive hole. Not just in the stat sheet, but in the team’s identity as they are trying hard to establish themselves as real contenders this year.

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