Point guard Courtney Vandersloot is set to return after a yearlong recovery from a right ACL injury, as the Chicago Sky host the Portland Fire at Wintrust Arena on Friday, June 25—an expected boost for a team struggling through the absence of Rickea Jackson.
Courtney Vandersloot has been waiting through a long stretch of rehab and uncertainty, and Friday night has the feel of something finally clicking back into place.
Unless an unexpected setback appears. the 5-foot-8 veteran is set to return when the Chicago Sky host the Portland Fire at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Friday. Jun. 25. Vandersloot, 37, told ESPN she was “excited and thankful” to complete her comeback that she couldn’t put into words. She was listed as questionable on Chicago’s injury report on Thursday, June 25.
The comeback follows a right ACL injury that sidelined her for a yearlong recovery. She injured her knee in a loss to the Indiana Fever in early June 2025.
For the Sky, the timing matters. Chicago beat the Portland Fire on Wednesday night. and it marked the team’s second win in the 13 games since Rickea Jackson’s injury. Jackson is out for the season with a torn ACL she sustained on May 17 against the Minnesota Lynx. and she underwent reconstructive surgery earlier this month.
Chicago’s place in the standings underscores the pressure to turn things around. The Sky are currently near the bottom of the league at No. 13. They sit above the Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun, both of whom have three wins each.
Vandersloot’s path back has been tracked closely by the team. She made her return to 5-on-5 action in practice three weeks ago. At the time, she told reporters she felt like a return was near and that she was “recovering fast.”
Chicago’s roster has also been in motion. Vandersloot is a free agent this offseason and returned to the Sky as part of a flurry of moves that saw the team trade star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream before acquiring Skylar Diggins. Azurá Stevens. Rickea Jackson and Natasha Cloud. To make room for Vandersloot’s addition to the active roster, the Sky waived hardship contract signee Saylor Poffenbarger.
The contract moves and injury setbacks now collide with a single question for Friday: can the Sky finally stabilize as Vandersloot—an anchor who has already tasted both loss and triumph with this franchise—returns.
Vandersloot’s résumé with the Sky spans a decade. Drafted No. 3 overall by the Sky in 2011, she played her first 12 seasons with the team and won her first WNBA championship in 2021. She signed with the Liberty as a free agent in 2023 and won her second league title in 2024.
With Vandersloot’s comeback looming and Chicago’s record still hovering near the bottom, the game against Portland carries more than just a matchup’s usual weight. It’s a chance for the Sky to build momentum off a win—just as they try to close the gap created by Jackson’s absence.
Courtney Vandersloot Chicago Sky Portland Fire Wintrust Arena WNBA injury report right ACL injury Rickea Jackson Angel Reese trade Skylar Diggins Natasha Cloud Azurá Stevens
ACL return already? That’s crazy.
So wait she got hurt playing the Fever and now she’s back for Portland? I feel like the Sky shouldve just rested everybody, they’re literally struggling anyway.
If she’s “questionable” then they’re not really back yet right? Like I know it says return but maybe she’s gonna go out in the first quarter. Also Portland beat them before? idk I’m confused.
Rickea Jackson torn ACL since May 17… so she’s basically done for the season but Vandersloot coming back might save the Sky? Numbers wise they’re still 13th which is wild. I swear every time Chicago gets one player back, another one goes down. Hopefully no setback because ACLs are no joke.