Chicago takes Kent’s Courtney Vandersloot as No. 3 overall pick in WNBA draft

She dreamed big.

And despite at times feeling as though her goals were set a bit too high for even her standards, Courtney Vandersloot once again hit her mark Monday during the WNBA draft held at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn.

“Even though I dreamed about playing in the WNBA, it always seemed a lit bit lofty,” Vandersloot said.

Lofty to some.

Heck, probably lofty to most.

Yet, Monday afternoon, the 2007 Kentwood High School graduate and Gonzaga University star, was selected in the first round – third overall – by the Chicago Sky. Chicago plays Sept. 11 against the Seattle Storm at KeyArena.

“I am so excited,” said Vandersloot, who averaged 19.8 points, 10.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game this season. “I’ve dreamed about this opportunity since I was a little girl. I can’t believe it’s finally here.”

Being drafted by Chicago capped a magical run for Vandersloot, arguably the best college point guard in the nation. In March, the 5-foot-7 guard with unmatched athletic ability and court vision led the Bulldogs (31-5) to the program’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance. Along the way, she became the first – and only – Division I player of either gender to record 2,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career. She ended her college career with 2,073 points and 1,118 assists. In addition, Vandersloot broke the NCAA single-season assist record this season, a mark that stood since 1987, as she ended the year with 367.

“I never would have thought the 2,000-1,000 milestone even would be in my thoughts,” said Vandersloot, a three-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year. “But I’d give all the numbers back to have made the Final Four.”

As Gonzaga’s season came to a close, the accolades for Vandersloot followed. In late March, she was named to the John R. Wooden Award All-American team. She is the first women’s player in Gonzaga history and WCC history to earn Wooden All-American honors.

In addition, Vandersloot became the school’s second-ever selection in the WNBA draft, but is the lone Bulldog to ever be chosen in the first round.

Vandersloot’s impact on the Bulldog program is immeasurable, Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves said.

“We knew we had something special right away with Courtney. Her first game against the University of Washington, she had 10 assists and no turnovers, and we rolled them by 30,” said Graves, who joined Vandersloot in Connecticut for the draft. “It still has not sunk in that she’s leaving, but I am happy for her. We have good players coming back, but she has really transcended our game and the sport in a lot of ways. I don’t want to think about life without her.”

As she was in her prep days at Kentwood, Vandersloot was a rock for the Bulldogs, leading the Spokane school to three-straight NCAA tournament appearances.

For Vandersloot, the success she had at Gonzaga was a continuation of what she accomplished at Kentwood, where she led the Conquerors to a 27-1 mark her senior season and a third-place finish at state.

“I had a special relationship with Courtney for three years in high school,” said Keith Hennig, the former Kentwood coach. “She was my eyes and ears out there on the court. She knew the game so well that I would often ask her what she thought we should do. She was an extension of the coaching staff.”

Yet, as good as Vandersloot was in high school, she was somewhat overlooked during the recruiting process. Before moving on to Gonzaga, she had offers from Colorado State and Montana State. However, the University of Washington and Washington State showed no interest.

“I think she always liked Gonzaga,” Graves said. “She wasn’t highly recruited (in high school) and came to one of our camps at the end of her sophomore year. We liked her right away. She actually committed to us before the end of her junior year, when not a lot of people knew about her. By the time her senior year came around, and after she blew up on the AAU circuit and got everybody’s attention, she already was with us.”

As Vandersloot progressed with the Bulldogs, the accolades followed in droves season after season.

In addition to becoming a three-time West Coast Conference Player of the year and earning Wooden All-American status, Vandersloot also was named to the Associated Press All-America team, was the Nancy Lieberman Award winner as the top point guard in the nation, and is the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner for the best player 5-foot-8 and under.

Despite all the awards, Vandersloot, humble as always, deflects the attention.

“The Gonzaga program and my team helped me develop into the player I never thought I’d be,” she said.

Yet, what has set Vandersloot apart from the rest isn’t her uncanny ability to get to the hoop or precision passing.

It’s her determination, Hennig said.

“I think her biggest strength is her competitiveness and her work ethic,” Hennig said. “Every year in high school, I don’t think she lost a set of lines. She was literally one of the first in the gym and was constantly staying after to work on things. I think that never stops. She continued in college. At the next level, I think she’s going to continue that. In two or three more years, she’s going to be an even better player.”

A player who always has dreamed big.

And, even though the professional level has come calling, Vandersloot has a hard time believing her dreams have now been realized.

“If you would have told me my freshman year (in college) that I’d be a first-round draft pick, I would have laughed,” she said. “It’s humbling.”