Courtney Vandersloot still believes in where the Sky are headed.
And at some point this season, the WNBA’s second-ranked player in career assists expects to be part of it on the court. Vandersloot spent the offseason rehabbing her knee after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in early June. The injury sidelined her for most of the 2025 season.
She’s still without a specific return timeline — the medical staff hasn’t given one because it doesn’t want to add unnecessary pressure — but she expects to be back this season.
“I’m feeling really good,” Vandersloot said. “They still have a little bit to go … but we’re definitely on track.”
When she does return, she will step into yet another new version of the Sky. General manager Jeff Pagliocca overhauled the roster for the third time in as many years.
This time, he did it with two defining moves: trading Angel Reese, once viewed as a pillar of the franchise, and landing veteran All-Star Skylar Diggins in free agency. He also added Rickea Jackson, Azura Stevens and DiJonai Carrington through a mix of signings and trades.
“We got our choices,” Vandersloot said. “The roster got put together pretty well. We got playmaking, we got size, we have shooting and we have the right returners — leadership, youth. All the mixes you think of when you picture a perfect roster. But the game is played in between the lines, so we have a lot of work to do.”
Vandersloot praised Pagliocca last season for incorporating player feedback into major roster decisions, and she said she again felt part of every conversation this offseason.
She was especially pleased about landing Diggins. The two had talked in the past about playing together and finally made it happen. To her, the changes point in the right -direction, even if they’ll still need to prove it on the court.
“I wanted to come back here to rebuild this franchise because I know there’s something special here,” Vandersloot said. “I just had to get people on board.”
Another positive step for the organization was supposed to be the team’s new practice facility in Bedford Park.
The Sky had targeted opening it for the 2026 season, but construction delays mean they’ll be at UIC through at least the end of May, according to a recent team statement.
Diggins, who played for the Storm the last two seasons — one of four teams with a dedicated practice facility — isn’t concerned. At least for now.
“I got a one-day sample size, but I’ve been in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we didn’t even have a weight room,” Diggins said. “I’ve been at the bottom of the bottom, and I’ve been at the nicest. What I love to see are the changes that are being made around here. So far, so good.”
The Sky are one of five WNBA teams practicing on college campuses during training camp, along with Portland, Toronto, Los Angeles and Dallas. Under the new collective-bargaining agreement, all teams must have dedicated facilities by 2028.
In the meantime, the Sky’s roster is still coming together.
Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams are still overseas fulfilling commitments, though both are expected back within a few days.
Carrington hasn’t arrived yet, either. She’s rehabbing a foot injury from September that required surgery, and coach Tyler Marsh said it’s unclear whether she’ll be ready for the season opener May 9.
Stevens and Maddy Westbeld were at practice but are in “return-to-play” protocol for lower-body injuries.
