Courtney Vandersloot responds to Angel Reese, says age is ‘not a factor’ and she’ll return to Sky next season

Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot has been sidelined since June 7 with a torn ACL, but found herself in headlines this week after All-Star forward Angel Reese said that the team could not rely on her as their starting point guard next season. 

In an interview with Sky broadcaster Shimmy Miller, which was taped prior to the team’s win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday but surfaced online on Saturday, Vandersloot responded to Reese and stated that she plans to return to Chicago next season. 

“Contrary to what people say or think, my age is absolutely not a factor. I am coming back,” the 36-year-old Vandersloot said. “I’m gonna come back better than ever because that’s what I’ve done. I’ve put myself in the position to come back and compete at this age.”

In a lengthy interview with the Chicago Tribune earlier this week, Reese aired her frustrations with the front office, coaching staff and roster construction, and called for major moves in free agency this winter.  

“I’m not settling for the same shit we did this year,” Reese said. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”

Reese also critiqued multiple teammates, including Vandersloot, Rachel Banham and Hailey Van Lith, and said that she and fellow second-year big Kamilla Cardoso are the only guaranteed returners. Reese’s comments about Vandersloot were particularly notable. 

“We can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at,” Reese said. “I know she’ll be a great asset for us, but we can’t rely on that. We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who’s been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before.”

Sky coach Tyler Marsh said that the team would handle Reese’s comments “in-house.” The organization later suspended Reese for the first half of the team’s game against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Reese had previously been suspended for the team’s loss to the Indiana Fever on Friday for accumulating too many technical fouls. 

Reese has since apologized for her comments and said that they were “taken out of context.” 

The 10-31 Sky hoped to compete for a playoff spot this season, but have long been eliminated from playoff contention. To make matters worse, they owe the Minnesota Lynx their first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft and could give away the No. 1 overall selection. 

Reese and the Sky have three games remaining and will conclude their campaign on Sept. 11 against the reigning champion New York Liberty.