The Chicago Sky recently took down the New York Liberty. With New York looking to defend their title, a game against the Chicago Sky was supposed to be an easy pass. But things did not turn out as planned. Instead, it was the Sky who reigned supreme. And while the likes of Angel Reese were termed ‘questionable,’ Chi-Town Barbie dropped an impressive performance. But despite the loss, the Liberty management showed their sportsmanship by honoring Courtney Vandersloot.
Reese dropped 21 points as her team beat the defending champions 91-85. However, Vandersloot had a mixed reaction. On one hand, her current team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season. But she also felt nostalgic, as the 36-year-old was one of the mainstays for the New York Liberty last year.
Courtney Vandersloot Receives Her 2024 WNBA Ring
It was one of the best seasons for the New York Liberty. Reaching the finals, they got the better of the Minnesota Lynx. And while the likes of Sabrina Ionescu and others rejoiced with their championship ring, Vandersloot did not get the opportunity to do so. That is because she joined the Chicago Sky for this season, leaving her prized possession with the Liberty front office.
However, while the WNBA veteran recently enjoyed a homecoming, it doubled her joy. After Vandersloot joined her teammates in celebrating the win, Liberty officials came forward to give her the 2024 WNBA ring. This was surely a heartfelt moment for the 36-year-old. The joy and emotions were clearly visible on her face immediately after she held the championship ring in her hands.
FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT 💍
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 21, 2025
Former @nyliberty point guard Courtney Vandersloot receives her 2024 championship ring in New York!
CHI-NYL | Prime Video pic.twitter.com/nNJjzrGgGP
Unfortunately, since joining the Sky, things have not been going particularly well for Vandersloot. Since June, the 36-year-old has suffered an ACL injury that has kept her out of the action. Meanwhile, despite the victory, somber news was waiting for the Chicago Sky.
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Courtney Vandersloot’s Chicago Sky Eliminated From The Playoff Races
It has been a complete contrast for Vandersloot. Just the previous year, she was a WNBA champion. But this year, Vandersloot will have to plan for the next season from now. That’s because the Chicago Sky has officially missed out on this year’s WNBA playoffs. With Reese’s injury elevating Chicago’s ongoing struggles, the absence got too much for the team to counter. With the Los Angeles Sparks defeating the Dallas Wings, the league officially eliminated both the Wings and the Sky.
Sky currently stands in 11th place and thus, they numerically have no more chances to qualify for the playoffs. And such a grim outcome was foreshadowed by head coach Tyler Marsh. After the loss against the Golden State Valkyries, Marsh commented, “We’ve tried different things. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it hasn’t. I just got to be better for them.” Thus, with the Sky trying to rebuild, it remains to be seen what happens next.