Courtney Vandersloot’s career can be defined by an exhausting desire to avoid complacency.

For 12 seasons, the Sky were the beneficiaries of the little room she left for error and her unwavering loyalty, both of which were the foundation of the franchise’s first WNBA championship in 2021.

After making good on her goal of winning a second title — helping the Liberty win their first in 2024 — Vandersloot will sign a one-year deal to return to the Sky, multiple sources told the Sun-Times.

The terms of Vandersloot’s deal can’t be made official until Saturday, but in her typical fashion, she subtly confirmed the news herself with a social-media bio change. Where it once read “New York Liberty” on Vandersloot’s Instagram, it now reads “Chicago Sky.”

No player in Sky history has made more of an impact than Vandersloot.

During her first stint with the Sky, Vandersloot was a four-time All-Star and a six-time assist leader, and she set the WNBA’s single-game assist record (18), which since has been broken by Fever star Caitlin Clark (19). Vandersloot added another assist title and an All-Star nod in her two seasons with the Liberty.

In 2021, Vandersloot and Allie Quigley, the Sky’s all-time leading scorer and Vandersloot’s wife, were key reasons behind WNBA legend Candace Parker’s decision to sign with her hometown franchise. Parker’s signing was directly responsible for the Sky winning the title, and it wouldn’t have happened without Vandersloot.

The team that Vandersloot is returning to, though, is not a contender.

She will be expected to help usher in a new era anchored by young stars Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. But her decision to sign with the Sky — despite interest from other teams, including the Valkyries, Storm and Mercury — signals they are committed to being a serious franchise.

The Sky are getting their point guard back two years older with 70 more games of wear and tear. She averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 assists, playing just 22.3 minutes per game last year for the Liberty.

Her addition will not answer the Sky’s need for a reliable three-point shooter. The team could look to fill that hole by dealing the No. 3 overall pick, but it would require receiving an All-Star shooting guard or small forward.

Vandersloot believes that with the personnel in Chicago — starting with general manager Jeff Pagliocca and Marsh — she can maximize the years she has left in the league.

“When I heard [Pagliocca] was up for the [Sky’s GM] job, I absolutely was like, ‘He’s the right guy for it,’ ” Vandersloot said during the opening weekend of Unrivaled. “The way he can connect to players, you just don’t see a lot. As a GM, that’s the most important thing, is being able to connect with these players and get them to trust you. You build that relationship so they want to come here and they know the path that you’re taking this franchise is the right one.”

Part of what Pagliocca and Marsh sold Vandersloot on was an opportunity to accomplish even more greatness with the Sky. She’s 385 assists away from surpassing Sue Bird and becoming the WNBA’s all-time assist leader and 52 points behind Quigley in career scoring for the Sky.

Beyond her superior facilitating, Vandersloot will bring the right mindset to a franchise that’s still in rebuild mode. While some people are afraid of being told about their shortcomings, Vandersloot is more fearful of what happens if those things aren’t critiqued and dissected until they’re no longer recognizable.

The Sky need that kind of approach to turn the corner in their rebuild.