Assuming everything goes the way it's expected to, Courtney Vandersloot will make her 2026 season debut tonight against the Portland Fire. Vandersloot missed the 2025 season after tearing her ACL.
The Sky listed Vandersloot as questionable yesterday, but multiple outlets have reported the team intends to play her today. There's no indication that Vandersloot will take over a starting spot, but also no indication that she won't. The 2026 season is Vandersloot's 16th in the WNBA. She was drafted by the Sky in 2011 and has spent most of her career with the team, except for two seasons she played for the New York Liberty.
Vandersloot's return comes at a crucial time for the Sky. The team is fresh off a big 101-78 win over the Fire, and hope to repeat that feat this evening.
It also gives the league veteran the opportunity to introduce herself to a new group of fans who didn't see her play last year, as well as though who are newly supporting the Fire since the expansion team joined the WNBA this season.
The Chicago Sky's 2026 season is all over the place
This week's win over the Fire was a necessary one for Chicago. The team is currently ranked 13th in the league with a 5-12 record, as has been battling everything from injury (Rickea Jackson's 2026 season ended early when she tore her own ACL in mid-May) to a roster that has yet to fully come together (DiJonai Carrington is also still out with a foot injury) to adjusting to new fouling rules and calls (Tyler Marsh recenlty said questions about different calls have gone unanswered).
But there are still reasons to believe the team can have a decent 2026 season, and even a good one. The roster boasts two talented rookies in Gabriela Jaquez and Sydney Taylor, who are both finding ways to hone and develop their skillsets as the team navigates games together.
And if the 2026 season ends up being a total bust, the Sky might end up getting a little help in the 2027 WNBA Draft. The team gave the Washington Mystics the right to swap picks in next year's draft, something the team is likely to do. Even with that, the Sky could end up lotterying into a high pick if luck is on their side.
After the Fire, the Sky will host the Las Vegas Aces on June 28 and then meet the Aces in Las Vegas on July 3.
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