Our Seattle Storm just dropped a tough one, falling 110-107 to the Indiana Fever. That stings, no doubt. But while we’re still processing that L, there’s another story bubbling up in the WNBA that hits close to home for anyone who bleeds green and blue: Courtney Vandersloot is back on the court for the Chicago Sky, and her return is sparking some serious chatter about where she stands among the all-time greats, even putting her name right up there with our very own legend, Sue Bird.
The WNBA’s Assist Queen Makes Her Case Against Our GOAT
Look, everyone knows Sue Bird. She’s our GOAT, the absolute darling of the WNBA, the flag bearer for the 2020 Olympics, and just a class act through and through. We saw her dominate for years right here in the Emerald City. But if you’re looking purely at the numbers for dishing out dimes, Courtney Vandersloot, or ‘Sloot’ as real fans call her, makes you do a serious double-take. Ticha Penicheiro, another WNBA legend, called it years ago on a broadcast: if anyone was going to break her single-game assists record of 16, it was Sloot. And she did it, dropping an insane 18 assists on August 31, 2020. That record stood until Caitlin Clark nabbed the current mark with 19 in 2024. Talk about making history!
Sloot set the previous standard for assists per game with 6.6, before Clark came along with her 8.3 average, leaving Bird’s 5.6 average in the dust. Think about that for a second. Bird’s career-high for assists in a game is 16; Sloot has two games with a ridiculous 18. Bird has one game with 15 or more assists in her entire career; Sloot has nine! Now, no one’s saying Bird wasn’t incredible. She was a slightly better scorer and a far better 3-point shooter, hitting 41.4 percent from deep from ages 39 to 41, while averaging 9 points and 5.6 assists. Sloot trails Bird in total assists only because she hasn’t played as long. For us diehard WNBA fans, it’s a debate we’ve been having for years: when it comes to pure passing, Sloot is undeniably the queen of assists.
Sloot’s Rocky Comeback and What It Means
After what was clearly an off year with the New York Liberty last season, where she put up a career-low 6.4 points per game and shot a rough 26.9 percent from deep, Sloot is back where she belongs, with the Chicago Sky. She’s 37 now and just making her return from a torn ACL. So far this season, she’s played in eight contests, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 helpers in 17.5 minutes per game. Sky head coach Tyler Marsh has her in the starting lineup, at least for now, which is a good sign.
It’s going to be incredibly tough for Sloot, or anyone else, to reach the insane level of consistent play our Bird maintained into her late 30s and early 40s. That’s just a different stratosphere, an unreal benchmark. But Sloot’s consistently eye-popping assist numbers have delivered thrilling record chases throughout her career. We’re all just hoping she can get close to being the star she once was, or at least remain a positive contributor and see some decent playing time. You can’t count out a player with her vision and passing skill.
It’s a long WNBA season ahead, and while we’re always pulling for our Storm to bounce back from tough losses like tonight’s, it’s also wild to watch these WNBA legends like Sloot continue to write new chapters. She might live in Bird’s shadow for some, but for us true fans who appreciate the art of the assist, we know exactly what she brings to the court. Let’s keep an eye on the Sky and see what else this assist queen has up her sleeve this year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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