Courtney Vandersloot's season-ending injury draws support from Angel Reese, WNBA players
The post Courtney Vandersloot's season-ending injury draws support from Angel Reese, WNBA players appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot has been in the WNBA since 2011 and there are few players in the league who have more respect from her peers. So when she went down with a season-ending ACL injury over the weekend, players around the league showed their support.
Advertisement
Her teammate, Angel Reese, shared a prayer hands emoji Sunday night once the news broke.
Second-year Washington Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards posted via X, 'Sending love to my sis @Sloot22 🙏🏾🫶🏾', just hours after Washington defeated the Connecticut Sun.
Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings chimed in with 'Dang… praying for you @Sloot22 !!! 🙏🏽🥰.'
For the Sky, who are just 2-5, losing Vandersloot is a crucial blow. She was the team's third-leading scorer in the early part of the season, putting up 10.6 points with a team-best 5.3 assists per game.
Rookie Hailey Van Lith will surely have to step up the rest of the way. Though she hasn't contributed much this year, she made an impact on Saturday against the Fever, playing 26 minutes and scoring seven points.
Liberty still hope to celebrate Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Next up for the Sky is a trip to Brooklyn to face the New York Liberty on Tuesday. The plan had been for New York to honor Vandersloot, who played there in 2023 and 2024, by presenting her with her 2024 championship ring. But with the injury so recent, it's still not clear if she will travel with the team this week.
Advertisement
'We're just more thinking of her, and hopefully she's okay,' her former coach, Sandy Brondello, said Sunday, per Myles Ehrlich of Winsidr. 'We'd like to celebrate her.'
Vandersloot was part of the massive haul Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb brought in prior to the 2023 season that led the team to consecutive WNBA Finals appearances, along with Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. Though she played crucial roles on both squads, she saw a diminished role in the 2024 playoffs as Brondello moved her to the bench.
When free agency came, Vandersloot decided to return to Chicago, where she spent the first 12 seasons of her career.
Related: Jeff Teague drops 'Dennis Rodman of the WNBA' Angel Reese take
Related: Courtney Vandersloot to miss remainder of season with ACL injury
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Loyd has breakout game in Aces' victory over Wings after slow start this season
LAS VEGAS (AP) — This is the Jewell Loyd the Aces traded for in January, the addition Las Vegas counted on to remain a WNBA championship contender. She scored 21 points, including a 3-pointer with 28.3 seconds left that put the Aces ahead for good, in their 88-84 victory over Dallas on Friday night. Loyd shot with confidence, making a statement from the beginning by scoring the Aces' first eight points. The 11-year, six-time All-Star entered the game averaging a career-low 9.1 points and shooting 30%. Loyd made 7 of 13 shots against the Wings, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. She often was guarded by Paige Bueckers, taken first overall in this year's draft. Loyd herself was the No. 1 pick in 2015. 'Confidence is always there,' Loyd said. 'I get annoyed more when I miss shots. Making shots allows people to play free and spacing and all those things. You want to see the ball go through the basket. My preparation's been the same. My teammates believe in me, coaches, fans. Everyone's encouraging me all the way through.' Coach Becky Hammon said before the game that she wasn't worried about Loyd's shooting, that it would come around. She was right. Loyd came out strong, scoring 16 points in the first half. 'We need her shooting," Hammon said afterward. 'We've been waiting for that explosion, and I thought she got off to a really great start.' Not that the entire night went smoothly. Loyd didn't score in the third quarter and committed three turnovers. Then in the fourth period, she took an elbow from DiJonai Carrington and left the floor. But Loyd wasn't gone long, returning in time to make the go-ahead shot after point guard Chelsea Gray kept the possession alive with an offensive rebound. Gray then fed the ball to Loyd, who drilled the shot. That helped the Aces erase an 11-point deficit with a 15-point run. 'We were so engaged, and there was a belief we were going to win this game,' Loyd said. Loyd was the shiny new piece the Aces — who won WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023 — were going to hang their title hopes on after acquiring her from Seattle in a three-team trade that also sent fan favorite and WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles. Given what Plum has done in LA, averaging 21.0 points, the Sparks often have looked as if they won the trade. But performances like this one against Dallas could change that dynamic. Loyd's slow start has mirrored the team's. The Aces entered the game 4-4 and nearly lost to a Wings team with just one victory, even giving up an 18-point run at one point in the third quarter. Las Vegas rallied with Loyd a key piece even with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson out because of a concussion. 'It's about winning games in September, so we just want to keep building habits,' Hammon said. 'We're still waiting for that unicorn 40 (minutes). As long as I can see us making progress and keeping the belief in each other. This is a process. This stuff just doesn't happen overnight. That's why you play 44 games.' ___
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Loyd has breakout game in Aces' victory over Wings after slow start this season
Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — This is the Jewell Loyd the Aces traded for in January, the addition Las Vegas counted on to remain a WNBA championship contender. She scored 21 points, including a 3-pointer with 28.3 seconds left that put the Aces ahead for good, in their 88-84 victory over Dallas on Friday night. Loyd shot with confidence, making a statement from the beginning by scoring the Aces' first eight points. The 11-year, six-time All-Star entered the game averaging a career-low 9.1 points and shooting 30%. Loyd made 7 of 13 shots against the Wings, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. She often was guarded by Paige Bueckers, taken first overall in this year's draft. Loyd herself was the No. 1 pick in 2015. 'Confidence is always there,' Loyd said. 'I get annoyed more when I miss shots. Making shots allows people to play free and spacing and all those things. You want to see the ball go through the basket. My preparation's been the same. My teammates believe in me, coaches, fans. Everyone's encouraging me all the way through.' Coach Becky Hammon said before the game that she wasn't worried about Loyd's shooting, that it would come around. She was right. Loyd came out strong, scoring 16 points in the first half. 'We need her shooting," Hammon said afterward. 'We've been waiting for that explosion, and I thought she got off to a really great start.' Not that the entire night went smoothly. Loyd didn't score in the third quarter and committed three turnovers. Then in the fourth period, she took an elbow from DiJonai Carrington and left the floor. But Loyd wasn't gone long, returning in time to make the go-ahead shot after point guard Chelsea Gray kept the possession alive with an offensive rebound. Gray then fed the ball to Loyd, who drilled the shot. That helped the Aces erase an 11-point deficit with a 15-point run. 'We were so engaged, and there was a belief we were going to win this game,' Loyd said. Loyd was the shiny new piece the Aces — who won WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023 — were going to hang their title hopes on after acquiring her from Seattle in a three-team trade that also sent fan favorite and WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles. Given what Plum has done in LA, averaging 21.0 points, the Sparks often have looked as if they won the trade. But performances like this one against Dallas could change that dynamic. Loyd's slow start has mirrored the team's. The Aces entered the game 4-4 and nearly lost to a Wings team with just one victory, even giving up an 18-point run at one point in the third quarter. Las Vegas rallied with Loyd a key piece even with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson out because of a concussion. 'It's about winning games in September, so we just want to keep building habits,' Hammon said. 'We're still waiting for that unicorn 40 (minutes). As long as I can see us making progress and keeping the belief in each other. This is a process. This stuff just doesn't happen overnight. That's why you play 44 games.' ___ AP WNBA: recommended
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Loyd has breakout game in Aces' victory over Wings after slow start this season
LAS VEGAS — This is the Jewell Loyd the Aces traded for in January , the addition Las Vegas counted on to remain a WNBA championship contender. She scored 21 points, including a 3-pointer with 28.3 seconds left that put the Aces ahead for good, in their 88-84 victory over Dallas on Friday night.
