Courtney Vandersloot: From Mid-Major to WNBA Champion

Courtney Vandersloot: From Mid-Major to WNBA Champion

Time Stamp: March 25, 2024 9:53 AM
Source Node: 2525639

Courtney Vandersloot, the mid-major guard, became a WNBA Champion with the Chicago Sky in 2021.

Mid-major schools are defined as schools below the Power Five and Big East conferences. They generally play at a lower level than the high major schools and have less exposure in the media and television. It is also rarer for players to come from schools outside of high majors in the NBA and WNBA.

Growing Up and High School

Vandersloot was born in Kent, Washington and grew up playing sports with local kids in the neighborhood. She regularly played with the boys and dreamed of playing in the WNBA. She played basketball, softball and soccer primarily and did not make basketball a priority until high school.

Vandersloot attended Kentwood High School in Washington and was named the Seattle Times 2007 State Player of the Year. She was a consensus first-team All State honoree and was the state of Washington’s leading scorer as a senior. She averaged 26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals in her senior campaign. This led her to be rated the top point guard in the state of Washington, as well as a Top 15 point guard in the country and 63rd best prospect in the country.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Vandersloot kept her talents in Washington and went to mid-major, Gonzaga University. During her four years with the Bulldogs she was a three-time WCC Player of the Year and three-time WCC Tournament Most Valuable Player. She was a Wooden All-American, AP All-American honorable mention, Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner and Nancy Lieberman Award winner to name a few accolades. (The Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award is awarded to the most outstanding male and female college basketball players no taller than 6’0″ for a male and 5’8″ for a female.) Her senior season she led the nation in assists with 10.1 per game. She also broke the NCAA single-season assists record with 367 and Gonzaga’s single-season scoring record with 712 points. In addition to her personal accolades she led mid-major Gonzaga to the programs only Elite Eight appearance.

During her time in college, Vandersloot connected with another Bulldogs basketball legend, John Stockton. The two built a connection and she worked with him throughout her Gonzaga career.

Stockton said this of Vandersloot:

“She’s pretty much a self-made player, I would love to find a way to take credit. She kind of defies what you expect from a woman basketball player. She has the knack of a boy. I don’t want to dramatize it too much, but she’s like Gretzky in hockey. There is something that separates Courtney from others. (Former GU NCAA scoring champion Adam) Morrison was a little bit the same way.”

Vandersloot is the first Division I Player, male or female, with 2,000 points and 1,000 assists in her career. She is also third on the NCAA career assists leaderboard with 1,118.

In February 2023, Gonzaga retired Vandersloot’s jersey. She is the first women’s player to have her jersey retired in Gonzaga.

WNBA Career

Vandersloot was selected third overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. She played her first 12 seasons with the Sky franchise before signing with the New York Liberty in 2023. In 2020, she set the WNBA single-game assist record with 18 assists.

She is a 2x All-WNBA 1st Team (2019, 2020), 3x All-WNBA 2nd Team (2015, 2018, 2021) and All-Rookie Team (2011) winner.

Over her 13 year career she is averaging 10.3 points and 6.8 assists, with a career high 13.6 points and 10.0 assists in 2020. She currently sits second on the WNBA’s all-time career assists list (2701).

With limited roster spots in the WNBA and a veteran heavy league it is hard for rookies to make a name for themselves. In addition she came from a small school that has only ever had five other draftees all in the second or third round. On top of that, after rookies make the league, the average career length is only 5.1 years.

However, despite all the odds Vandersloot has solidified herself as one of the greatest point guards in WNBA history. Mid-major, high-major it does not matter when it comes to proving yourself in the WNBA. It comes down to the skill level and work you put in to be a great WNBA player, not the college you come from.

Vandersloot and her Liberty squad will look to have another successful season in 2024, after falling short in the WNBA Finals last year.

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