BROOKLYN-The New York Liberty offered a mental helping hand to Courtney Vandersloot, one of the WNBA’s all-time assist queens, after a thrilling win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday afternoon.
Vandersloot has missed each of the Liberty’s last three games for personal reasons. The veteran point guard appeared to be with the team in Thursday’s win at Atlanta, but was not sidelined for either game of a victorious weekend, including Sunday’s 93-88 triumph that closed the 2024 Liberty Commissioner’s Cup roster.
When Breanna Stewart left Mohegan Sun Arena after Saturday’s victory in Connecticut, she dedicated the victory in part to Vandersloot. The wishes continued to pour in for the Liberty on Sunday, which marked their return to the Barclays Center after a three-game road trip.
“We play for her. She is part of this team. She supports us,” said fellow back Sabrina Ionescu. “We are not the same without her. I hope she knows that, I know she knows and feels that every time we put our foot down, everything we do, she is there with us .We know she has this fire and we don’t want to let her down. So we were doing all this for her.
“We’re all in this together. She’s a valuable teammate and we love and support her,” added head coach Sandy Brondello. “We look forward to her arrival, but for now she is in our thoughts and prayers.”
Vandersloot, 35, was part of the Liberty’s headliner before last season. Formerly a Chicago native, Vandersloot has appeared in each of the last three WNBA All-Star Games and currently ranks second in all-time assists, behind Sue Bird. She averaged 7.6 points and 5.3 assists before her departure.
Even though Vandersloot is away, she has left a huge impact on her teammates both familiar and new, as evidenced by those who continue to keep an eye on her while she remains on the sidelines.
“We think about her all the time,” Stewart added after Sunday’s win over Washington. “We miss her. We love her. We continue to do this for her and we keep it for her here while she’s gone.”
“We love him, no matter what,” said New York freshman Kennedy Burke. “She needs to take her time because we know she’s going through a tough time right now. We love here, we’re always here for her.”
After the busy Commissioner’s Cup slate, the Liberty (11-2) return to action this weekend, when they take on the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
Be sure to bookmark All Knicks for the latest news, exclusive interviews, movie details, and much more!
