2021 WNBA playoffs: Ranking the five best assists from Courtney Vandersloot's record-setting performance

Vandersloot set a new playoff record with 18 assists in the Sky's win over the Sun Tuesday night

After nearly three hours of basketball and two overtimes, the Chicago Sky were able to celebrate a dramatic 101-95 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their semifinal series. Winning Game 1 is important in any circumstance, but especially in the short five-game series that the WNBA utilizes. 

The Sky got key contributions up and down the roster, including 22 points, five rebounds and six assists from Candace Parker and 19 points from Allie Quigley. But the real star of the show was their point guard, Courtney Vandersloot, who put together a historic performance. 

Vandersloot has been the best point guard in the league for a while now, winning five straight assists titles and setting numerous records along the way. She added a few more against the Sun, as she finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 18 assists to record the second triple-double in playoff history and set a new playoff record for assists in a game. 

The triple-double is mighty impressive, as were the four steals and two blocks she added for emphasis. It was a stunning all-around performance, but we're going to focus on the assists. While she might not have the same amount of awards or team success as some of the other great point guards in WNBA history, Vandersloot can make a legitimate case that she's the best pure passer ever. 

Vandersloot creates assists in the truest sense of the word. Sometimes you'll see a player put up good assist numbers and then when you watch the video they're making simple swing passes to open shooters, or just the last pass before a teammate drives to the basket. That's typically not the case with Vandersloot. Her vision and creativity generates opportunities that would otherwise not be there. Often times she's so good that she'll pass her teammates open, rather than waiting for them to get free.

Game 1 was another classic display that deserves a closer look. Let's rank the top five passes from Vandersloot's record-setting performance. 

5. Pick-and-roll perfection

We'll start off at No. 5 with this possession early in the second quarter. After coming off a screen from Stefanie Dolson, Vandersloot catches the pass and immediately turns and uses Dolson as the screener in a middle pick-and-roll. 

Dolson rolls hard to the basket, while Jonquel Jones jumps out to hedge on Vandersloot. With shooters on the perimeter, the Sun's weakside defenders stay at home, which leaves an open lane. Vandersloot does a little mini jump to give herself a better angle and leads Dolson right to the rim with a rocket of a pass. Just some classic pick-and-roll action: 

4. The record breaker

Next up at No. 4 is the record breaker. This was Vandersloot's 17th assist of the game, which took her past Sue Bird for the most assists in a playoff game in WNBA history. That it came on one of the most important possessions of the game was fitting. 

With the score tied at 93-93 late in the second overtime, the Sky looked to free up Allie Quigley with a number of screens. First she cut toward the basket, and when she wasn't open there she wheeled around to the wing. As she came off a screen from Parker, both defenders momentarily focused on her because of her shooting. 

That's when Parker slipped backdoor and Vandersloot dropped a little lob over the top of the defense. Parker got herself under control and converted the layup to give the Sky the lead for good: 

3. Another perfect lob

We'll go back in time now to the end of the second quarter. While it will get overshadowed in all of the drama and overtimes, this was one of the most important stretches of the game. After trailing by double digits early on, the Sun had regrouped and built a five-point lead. It looked like they were going to go into the break with a bunch of positive momentum. Instead, the Sky went on a 12-6 run over the final two minutes of the half to take the lead at the break. 

Vandersloot had four assists in that couple of minutes alone, including this beauty to Parker. This one is very similar to the pass in No. 3, as Parker rolls to the basket and Vandersloot floats a perfect lob right in between multiple defenders. The touch and accuracy on this pass are just incredible: 

2. Backdoor bounce pass

Jumping back ahead to overtime now, it's time for a completely different type of pass than we've seen so far. When we talk about passing her teammates open, this is a perfect example. Jones appears to have Parker under control until Vandersloot takes her out of the equation.

After a pick-and-roll that doesn't go anywhere, Vandersloot drives left, puts on the brakes and circles back to the middle of the floor. There doesn't seem to be anything happening for the Sky, but that's never the case when Vandersloot has the ball. She takes one dribble back to her right and slips a bounce pass into the lane that leads Parker right to the rim for a layup. 

Just look at this freeze frame here of Vandersloot about to throw the pass: 

Vandersloot sees the opening before it's there.

Parker is still behind Jones and looks to be out of the play. Vandersloot changes all of that with a mix of skill and creativity. Aesthetically there's always something special about a bounce pass through traffic. 

1. How did she pull that off?

Speaking of throwing passes through traffic, we'll return now to the second quarter for the best pass of the night. All of the passes here are superb, but for the most part it's easy to see what Vandersloot was thinking and how she made it happen. This one, though, leaves you wondering just how she pulled it off.

Once again it starts with a middle pick-and-roll. This time, Astou Ndour-Fall is the screener and Vandersloot is going to her left. But after being cut off on the drive, Vandersloot circles back to her right just in time to see Ndour-Fall cutting to the basket. Instinctively she whips a pass her way and it somehow gets through multiple defenders and lands right in Ndour-Fall's hands. She makes a nice catch, spins and finishes to make sure the dime didn't go to waste:

After their Game 1 win, the Sky are just two wins away from becoming the first team to start play in the first round and make the Finals since the WNBA adopted this playoff format in 2016. There's still a lot of work for them to do, but with Vandersloot operating at this kind of level they have a real chance.