Liberty 2023 Player Preview: Courtney Vandersloot

Courtney Vandersloot, one of the most recent New York Liberty playoff foes, has become a friend to help pave the team's championship path.

The New York Liberty are set to embark upon one of the most anticipated seasons in franchise, if not WNBA, history. Fresh off consecutive playoff appearances, the Liberty made several moves that have some observers labeling them a "superteam" that could yield the organization's first championship after over two decades of waiting.

All Knicks will have coverage of the Liberty's quest for WNBA hardware as tip-off looms on Friday night in Washington (7 p.m. ET, WWOR/NBA TV) before the Brooklyn opener against Indiana two days later. With the opening-night roster officially unveiled, AK will feature play-by-player previews leading into the weekend.

One of the star acquisitions from this offseason is next on the list, as our previews now center upon Chicago-based champion Courtney Vandersloot ...

Name: Courtney Vandersloot
Height/Weight: 5-8, 137 lbs.
College: Gonzaga
Experience: 13th season (1st with Liberty)

The Story So Far

In another case of Brooklyn edginess, the multi-talented Vandersloot was perhaps Sabrina Ionescu before it was cool. She was setting college basketball landmarks and records among both male and female competitors and worked under current Oregon head coach Kelly Graves in Spokane. It yielded a 12-season career in Chicago, where she gained a ring in more ways than one: she was part of the Sky's 2021 championship run alongside former/current teammate Stef Dolson three years after marrying teammate Allie Quigley (who's sitting out of the 2023 WNBA season).

While it seems like every legend of the game wants to play in New York at the twilight of his/her career (i.e. Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, and Katie Smith), this is hardly the case for Vandersloot, who seems to be only getting better with age: she has led the WNBA in assists in five of the past six seasons (1,478 total over that span while averaging 6.6 in her career, the best tally in WNBA history) and she seems to be learning a thing or two from Quigley, the queen of the Association's annual three-point contest.

Perhaps nothing defined the similarities and competitive spirits of Vandersloot and Ionescu than their get-together at Barclays Center last June: Ionescu made history with her second career double-double but Vandersloot, one of the earners of the WNBA's first triple-doubles, silenced Brooklyn's loudest with a game-winning three-pointer.

They Said It

"I was a part of a first-time champion in Chicago. I do know how special that first one is ... to bring that first one for the Liberty would be special... we have the right pieces, vision, that's the ultimate goal ... (Me and Breanna Stewart) didn't want to blow up (the roster). We wanted to be additions. When you think of a dynasty, you think of winning championships, but it's about creating a winning culture, creating all the winning things that you need ... (general manager) Jonathan (Kolb) created a great group."-Vandersloot

"I'm super excited...our games will mesh well with each other. On the first day (of camp) I was trying to hunt Sabrina...why wouldn't I?"-Vandersloot on working with Ionescu

Outlook

With all the hype around a supposed superteam, it'll be difficult to remain calm. But expectations should at least be kept at realistic levels in the early going. The curbed enthusiasm will only be amplified with the inclusion of Vandersloot, who spent a good portion of her first New York training camp in concussion protocol.

Her indirect connection with Ionescu ... their similar skillsets partially forged by Graves in the Pacific Northwest ... should help smooth and straighten the learning curve but slow and steady will win the race to the WNBA's penthouse suite. Vandersloot is durable and up for the challenge, but it'd be no surprise to see her ease herself into the New York groove and at least partially lean on Ionescu's metropolitan knowledge (as well as that of former Chicago overseer and current Liberty assistant coach Olaf Lange) in the early going.

Previous Previews

• Stef Dolson
  
• Betnijah Laney
• Nyara Sabally
• Kayla Thornton
• Jocelyn Willoughby
• Han Xu

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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