Rumors that former Kentwood High School basketball star Courtney Vandersloot might sign with the New York Liberty proved to be true.
Vandersloot, 33, a free agent after playing 12 seasons with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA, announced on Twitter Feb. 2 that New York is her next stop.
The point guard will join former Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart with the Liberty. Stewart signed Feb. 1 with New York. Vandersloot and Stewart have the same agent and play on the same professional team in Turkey. Several media reports indicated the two might sign with the same WNBA team.
Vandersloot announced on social media Feb. 1 that she would be leaving Chicago.
“Dear Chicago, I am so grateful to you,” Vandersloot wrote. “My first time ever setting foot in Chicago was the day I landed for training camp my rookie year. Twelve years later, it became a place I call home. One of the biggest blessings in my life was meeting my wife and together building a championship team in her city.
“Although I never planned for this day to come, I have decided that it is time for me to pursue a new beginning. I will forever be grateful for the memories I have made during my time here. As I look ahead to a new chapter, with a new team, in a new city, know that Chicago, its fans and the Sky organization will always hold a special place in my heart.”
The Liberty have not won a WNBA title but their lineup now includes four of the top players in the league in Stewart, Vandersloot, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu.
Vandersloot helped Chicago win the 2021 WNBA title. She has led the league in assists six times.
Gonzaga University announced last month it would retire Vandersloot’s No. 21 jersey prior to a Feb. 11 game at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane.
The 5-foot-8 Vandersloot, a 2007 Kentwood graduate, played for Gonzaga before being drafted third overall in the 2011 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. She became the first Gonzaga player in school history to be taken in the first round. At Kentwood, she led the Conquerors to a 28-1 mark her senior season and a third-place finish at state.
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