Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky lost Saturday’s game against the Indiana Fever, 79-52. But their loss against a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana team wasn’t the worst thing that happened that night. Halfway through the game, veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot left the floor with an injury. On Sunday, MRIs confirmed that Vandersloot has torn her ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
An ACL tear is terrible news for any athlete, and suffering one at Vandersloot’s age (36) is even worse. She had been solid for the Sky, averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds, while shooting 43.9%. Courtney Vandersloot was by no means Chicago’s best player, but her playmaking and tenacity on defense will be sorely missed.
Chicago’s start to this season has been less than ideal, as the team lost five out of its first seven games. With Vandersloot on the sidelines, things could quickly go from bad to worse. However, there are plenty of quality free agents on the market that could help the team improve.
Let’s take a look at three players that Angel Reese’s Sky can target following Courtney Vandersloot’s ACL tear.
3 players Angel Reese’s Sky can target after Courtney Vandersloot’s injury
1) Chennedy Carter
Chennedy Carter is coming off a stellar season with the Chicago Sky in 2024. However, she was surprisingly not extended for another year. In 2024, Carter made 33 appearances for Chicago, averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
She is a versatile scorer and a solid playmaker who could easily step into Courtney Vandersloot’s shoes. However, her off-court issues might make her an unattractive option for the Sky. Indeed, the team already deals with enough animosity due to the fans who target Angel Reese.
2) Haley Jones
The Atlanta Dream selected Haley Jones with the 6th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft. Unfortunately, Jones failed to make an impact in the league, averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds for her career. A far cry from her senior year in college, when she recorded 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Jones has the skills required to facilitate for Chicago’s players and is also a tenacious defender, making her a solid backup guard. However, she has largely failed to prove herself in the league and might not get another chance to do so.
3) Aari McDonald
Aari McDonald signed a hardship contract with the Indiana Fever after they lost Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson to injuries. She stepped into the team as one of their only guards and has held her own, recording 9.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals.
So far, she has been stellar on defense and has done well to elevate her teammates. With Clark and Cunningham’s return on the horizon, McDonald will likely be a free agent soon. It could be in Angel Reese and Co.’s best interests to monitor her situation closely.
alt=”Sameer Khan” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Nadim El Kak
