The Chicago Sky are expected to bring back a team legend in guard Courtney Vandersloot. The 12-year Sky veteran averaged a franchise-record 6.6 assists per game in her Sky career, a full 3.2 ahead of the 2nd-place holder in Whitney Young's own Dominique Canty. Vandersloot won her second WNBA championship with the New York Liberty this past season, where she was part of a star-studded and cohesive group that featured 20 All-Star selections in its most-used lineup.
Vandersloot will join a Sky squad in need of passing talent after they fell to near the bottom of the league in assists per game. Their 19 assists per game would be the team's lowest since 2016. While the Sky started off hot with just under 21 assists per game in May, they would not climb above 8th place in the league for the rest of their 2024 campaign.
The Sky's Biggest Winner: Kamilla Cardoso
Though both of Chicago's sophomore bigs can benefit from having a reliable passing guard in their corner next season, Vandersloot may further elevate center Kamilla Cardoso's game with her eye for finding players on the interior.
Whether it be off flashy passes, the pick-and-roll or on second chances, Cardoso made her living off layups in her rookie season. While it took her some time to find her footing when gaining leverage or finishing with her back to the basket, she showed signs of progress as the season went on. The 6-foot-7 center is continuing to show her improvement in the paint with the Shanghai Swordfish of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association, where she is hitting 65.5% of her 2-point tries and averaging 21.7 points per game.
Vandersloot benefitted from playing alongside two All-Star bigs in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones last season. She assisted Stewart 41 times this season, Jones 33 times and center Nyara Sabally nine times in the Liberty's 2024 run. While she proved to be a talented passer overall with an average of 4.8 assists per game, the 5-time All-Star's ability to find Jones on the inside can be the biggest indicator in how well she can fit with Cardoso. Sloot's passes to Jones on the block put the 6-foot-6 center in a better position to battle down low, which can hopefully translate to her new teammate as the Sky look to continue strengthening their paint presence. Should Vandersloot be the reliable 3-point shooter she was in years past, she can improve the Sky's long-range capabilities and be an effective option for Cardoso to pass to. Vandersloot was assisted 17 times by Stewart and nine times by Jones, which included plenty of opportunities to score off screens and long-range jumpers.