Liberty All-Star Chronicles: Courtney Vandersloot (Exclusive)

Courtney Vandersloot has lent a helping hand ... or eight a game ... to the New York Liberty's Commissioner's Cup cause.

Much has been made about a certain passer making their way to the New York City tri-state area. Their single championship ring does not signify their impact on their sport and does little to deter the hope and enthusiasm they've brought to a franchise branded by a unique shade of green and hungry for a long-awaited championship. 

There have certainly been hard knocks ... but it's all in a day's work for New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot.

"This season has definitely been different than previous ones, full of discovery, but it’s been special to take on the next chapter in a new city with my wife," Vandersloot told All Knicks in an interview this summer. "Playing in New York has been great overall both on and off the court. The city and the fans are great and passionate about the game."

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

Vandersloot, part of the high-profile haul the Liberty imported from abroad, has lived up to the hype that followed her and then some: her 13th season on the WNBA circuit has been anything but cursed, as she's second in the league assists in both the total (233), per game (8.0) ... and all-time ... departments. Vandersloot's move into second, passing Ticha Penichero and trailing only Sue Bird, is one of the countless milestones and statistical landmarks reached by Liberty talents so far this season. 

But the former Chicagoan cares only for team accomplishments ... even if she, like many of her fellow seafoam bearers, rejects the label of "superteam" so liberally bestowed once she, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart came over to play with Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney. The latest comes as the Liberty prepare to take on the Las Vegas Aces in the third edition of the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup in-season championship on Tuesday night (9 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video). 

Vandersloot has harbored hoop dreams as early as when she was nine when a third-grade essay revealed her WNBA intentions. She's proud to partake in not only the growth of her teammates ... claiming All-Star weekend collaborator Ionescu's "hard work and dedication both on and off the court pushes all of us to be great" ... but also to flourish alongside the Association as a whole. 

"It’s awesome to see how much (events like All-Star weekend) have grown since my first appearance in 2011," an impressed Vandersloot declared, personally teaming up with PepsiCo-owned Starry at this year's edition. "This year especially, the fan and sponsor engagement and participation are apparent, I even heard the game was sold out. WNBA All-Star is becoming the kind of a world-class celebration that the best women’s basketball in the world and its fans deserve."

Vandersloot's team-first approach to her career has done what it can to repay her: she shares a packed trophy case with her wife and former Chicago Sky teammate Allie Quigley, who has joined her on this Brooklyn-bound journey. The pair is well-versed in big city parades, having worked alongside Kahleah Copper, Candace Parker, and Vandersloot's current teammate Stef Dolson to bring a title to the championship-starved Windy City in 2021.

Even as Vandersloot lauds the united team efforts and opportunities that New York (24-6) has accomplished three-quarters of the way through the 40-game regular season ledger, it'd be foolish to deny the personal impact she's had on metropolitan fortunes. 

Look no further, for example, than the late shift she worked in the wee hours of Aug. 2. Vandersloot had to watch the final minutes of the Liberty's first half effort against the Los Angeles Sparks from the Crypto.com Arena trainer's room after an apparent ankle ailment while setting a screen. 

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

Once granted re-entry, Vandersloot sank 8-of-10 from the field over the final 20 minutes, matching that with 20 points en route to a 76-69 victory that served as one of the tip-off portions of a perfect road trip out west. Including Tuesday's Commissioner's Cup festivities, New York now plays six in a row on the road as the WNBA regular season reaches its final quarter.

There's no doubt that Vandersloot's facilitation will be called upon as the Liberty try to chase down Vegas for both the right of homecourt advantage throughout the upcoming WNBA playoffs and an early chance at some long-sought championship hardware. 

No matter what happens, though, this season of change, this season of promise, this season of growth and development in year 13 has assured Vandersloot that the third-grader who made professional promises would be proud of how far both she and the league she's partly helped foster has come.

"The child in me is always so amazed at how far my career has gone," she said. "Growing alongside the league is something I’m most proud of and I’m excited to see how we continue evolving. I’m so grateful for all the opportunities and experiences that have shaped my career in the WNBA."

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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