Liberty Star Reveals Free Agency Wishlist

A New York Liberty star will work through free agency while competing with and against her teammates in the new Unrivaled league.

Oct 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) drives past Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the second half of game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

New York Liberty star Courtney Vandersloot's free agency will be anything but "Unrivaled."

Vandersloot addressed her upcoming free agency on the WNBA level as she made her first public comments as a member of Mist BC, one of the six teams set to compete in Unrivaled, the new, Miami-based 3-on-3 league co-founded by Vandersloot's Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart. The two are set to reunite on Mist while Vandersloot's fellow backcourt threat Sabrina Ionescu will play for Phantom BC.

Speaking alongside other Mist teammates Aaliyah Edwards and Rickea Jackson on Monday, Vandersloot kept mostly mum on the idea of any destination but outlined what she's seeking as she prepares to test the transactional waters.

Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) waves to the fans after defeating Las Vegas Aces 88-84 in game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

“I want to be valued. I want to be competitive," Vandersloot said. "That's why you come into this league. You want to be competing for championships ... A place that takes care of me, wants me to be there and sees what I can bring to the team, that's most important. I want to have the ball in my hands and be able to create the way that I think that I can and just be in a place that is comfortable for me and my family.”

Vandersloot did state that, while she'll peruse all options, she "feel(s) like (she's) part of the New York Liberty."

Fresh off her second season in New York, one that yielded the Liberty's first postseason championship, Vandersloot's campaign was interrupted by a bereavement leave after the passing of her mother Jan.

Stationed in the starting lineup for each of her first 80 showings as a New Yorker, Vandersloot came off the bench during the postseason's championship push but nonetheless played a vital role as a sixth/seventh woman. Of note, she became the WNBA's all-time leader in postseason assists and later had 12 points in relief during a narrow semifinal victory over the Las Vegas Aces.

"No one wants to go through [bereavement]. She's handled it as well as she can. She's been amazing," Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said in October. "She's been so important for what we do. Obviously, her role has changed too, so she's navigating that. But it just shows the kind of person that she is. She's all class, she's all about the team. She's very valued here. Moving to the bench, I think she's handled it well, but it's actually helped us become a better team and I think she sees that and I think it's helping her [see] how she can be more impactful for this team because she's important and we're going to need her best every single game.

"It's a family. You wrap your arms around them, you help her, you're there, you know they're going to have good and bad days," Brondello continued. "But I think she's handled the situation as well as you'd expect. I think her mom would be very proud of her, just going out and continuing to do something she loves doing and that her parents enjoyed watching."

Mist will headline Unrivaled's maiden voyage on Jan. 17 when it takes on Lunar Owls BC (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Thibodeau Bemoans "Low Energy" in Knicks' Latest Loss
• Knicks Falls to Magic Without Towns
• No Place Like Home For Garden-Bound Knicks
• Josh Hart's (Unwanted) All-Star Case
• Knicks Acknowledge Exhaustion After 2nd Straight Loss