Indiana Fever legend sends message to Courtney Vandersloot after injury horror

The Indiana Fever routed the Chicago Sky 79-52 on Saturday night, but the game was overshadowed by a frightening moment in the first quarter when veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot suffered an apparent knee injury and had to be helped off the court.

Vandersloot has been a key contributor for the Sky this season, averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 assists in 27.3 minutes per game. The fact that the injury was non-contact raised additional concern, and in her absence, the Sky delivered one of their poorest performances in franchise history.

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Indiana icon Tamika Catchings, who led the Fever to a championship in 2012, offered support for Vandersloot.

“Prayers up Slooty!! 🙌🏽🙏🏽,” she wrote on X.

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No Chicago player reached double figures in scoring, with Kamilla Cardoso and Rebecca Allen leading the team with eight points apiece.

The 52-point output tied for the fifth-lowest in Sky history during a regular-season game.

It also marked the lowest scoring effort for the Sky since Sept. 19 of last year, when they tallied just 54 points against the Connecticut Sun. Their all-time low remains 48 points, recorded in 2006 against the Detroit Shock.

Indiana has now outscored Chicago by a combined 62 points across two meetings this season. Kelsey Mitchell led the way for the Fever on Saturday night with 17 points, followed by Natasha Howard with 13 and Aliyah Boston with 11. Aari McDonald contributed 12 off the bench.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh discusses impact of Courtney Vandersloot’s injury

Courtney Vandersloot’s presence was viewed as a major asset for the Sky, especially given their pressing need for backcourt stability.

"She's our engine," Marsh said (per ESPN). "She's our captain and our leader out there, so obviously, it's a huge blow. But hopefully, it's not as serious as we may think.

“We're hoping she is able to bounce back, but for the time being, we all got to pick her up. We all got to lift her up; we all got to lift each other up."

Courtney Vandersloot is already a franchise legend, having spent 12 seasons in Chicago after being drafted in 2011. She helped the team win the 2021 WNBA championship.

She joined the New York Liberty for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, helping lead them to their first-ever title last year.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro