Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot has seemingly responded to her teammate Angel Reese’s public doubts regarding her ability to recover from ACL surgery at age 36.
Vandersloot’s comments come after Reese told the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe in an interview published Wednesday that the Sky “can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at.”
“Contrary to what people or say, or think, my age is actually not a factor,” Vandersloot said. “I am coming back. I’m going to come back better than ever, because that’s what I’ve done. I’ve put myself in the position to come back and compete, even at this age.”
Vandersloot, who will turn 37 before the start of the 2026 WNBA season, underwent surgery on a torn ACL in her right knee in June.
According to Poe, her interview with Reese took place after Tuesday’s practice with a staff member from the Sky’s communications office present.
Poe wrote that Reese expressed doubts about the Sky’s roster construction, and that Reese said she saw herself and Kamilla Cardoso as the only players from the 2025 roster guaranteed to return next season.
About Vandersloot as a starting point guard, Reese told Poe: “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.”
Reese told reporters after Wednesday’s game against the Connecticut Sun that she was “frustrated” with herself, that her “language is taken out of context.”
“I really didn’t really intentionally mean to put down my teammates,” Reese said, per ESPN’s Michael Voepel.
The Sky also held a players-only meeting after the game to address Reese’s interview, per Alissa Hirsh of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Reese was ultimately suspended for one half of her team’s Sunday game against the Las Vegas Aces for what the Sky called “statements detrimental to the team.”
The second-year WNBA guard has seen her team seemingly take a step back in their first campaign under Tyler Marsh.The Sky, which missed the playoffs after a 13-win 2024 campaign, currently sit 12th in the WNBA with a 10-31 record.
What next season’s roster looks like as the franchise’s rebuild continues could depend on a combination of factors including a potential league-wide work stoppage as well as Vandersloot’s health and Reese’s relationship with the franchise.