Is Courtney Vandersloot the Greatest Point Guard of All Time?

[nwhoopfan]

For most Uconn fans there is ONLY ONE PG--Sue Bird.

Unless it's a debate about which PG was best @ UConn. MoJeff has her supporters.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

No.

 

[Orangutan]

Look, she's my favorite player, but no.

If we are purely talking passing skills she is up there with anyone, though.

Better conversation is who is the best point guard right now. I think it's close between Sloot and Chelsea Gray.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

With your reasoning, I'll also say; Assists it's close: 5.6 for Sue versus 6.2 for V. You asked a question I answered, No Vandersloot is not the greatest point guard of all time.

...and besides, I would think Ticha Penicheiro would also have something to say regarding this topic.

That's a point. I would also point out that the past three seasons, Vandersloot has recorded season assists per game marks of 8.1, 8.6, and 9.1. If I'm not mistaken, each of those was a WNBA record. I can't find any WNBA player who has achieved those marks.

 

[Vowelguy]

I mean, is it Husky loyalty talking? The numbers- except for championships- are going toward Vandersloot.

Refresh my memory, how many Olympic teams has Vandersloot been part of?

 

[cordarone]

Wellll, rebounds and blocks are apparently sooo important in gauging point guard play.
Winning -ships and medals, not so much ...

Also, the last sequence in the game just ended doesn't do much for the Sloot argument, just sayin'

 

[nwhoopfan]

Refresh my memory, how many Olympic teams has Vandersloot been part of?

Come on now, she had no chance of making any Olympic teams w/ Bird and Whalen firmly entrenched throughout her entire career.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Come on now, she had no chance of making any Olympic teams w/ Bird and Whalen firmly entrenched throughout her entire career.

Exactly.

 

[eebmg]

Boy, this thread will be seen in a new light.

 

[Orangutan]

Refresh my memory, how many Olympic teams has Vandersloot been part of?

Hungary usually doesn't do so well in qualifying, unfortunately.

 

[Vowelguy]

Come on now, she had no chance of making any Olympic teams w/ Bird and Whalen firmly entrenched throughout her entire career.

Translation: she's the best ever, other than all the players that are better than her.

 

[Centerstream]

This belongs in General Basketball.

I disagree because Sue Bird's name should be in the Thread "question" and the "question" should then be an emphatic statement!!! IMO.

 

[Centerstream]

Hungary usually doesn't do so well in qualifying, unfortunately.

So the answer to @vowelguy 's question is?????

 

[UConnCat]

Whalen made her first USA Basketball WNT when she was 28 years old. Courtney Vandersloot chose to become a Hungarian citizen when she was 28 years old. Might Sloot have been in Tenerife last year had she not chosen Hungary (for financial reasons)? I guess we’ll never know.

 

[msf22b]

No

 

[nwhoopfan]

Are Olympic gold medals better than WNBA Championships in this discussion? Just curious. Olympic golds would favor Bird, but WNBA Championships are in Whalen's favor.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sloot made a nice play on defense late today and then made a really bad decision that set up incredible heroics by Dearica Hamby. Sloot had Stef open in the middle of the floor and tried to thread the pass down the crowded sidelines.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Are Olympic gold medals better than WNBA Championships in this discussion? Just curious. Olympic golds would favor Bird, but WNBA Championships are in Whalen's favor.

I believe the count is 4-3 in favor of Whalen. Lauren Jackson kept getting hurt, whereas Maya Moore did not.

 

[UConnCat]

Sue's accomplishments.

• 3× WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018)
• 11× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)
• 5× All-WNBA First Team (2002–2005, 2016)
• 3× All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)
• 3× WNBA assists leader (2005, 2009, 2016))
• WNBA all-time assists leader
• 5× Russian National League champion (2007, 2008, 2012–2014)
• 5× EuroLeague champion (2007–2010, 2013)
• 2× Europe SuperCup winner (2009, 2010)
• 2× NCAA champion (2000, 2002)
• 4× Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
• 4× FIBA World Cup Gold Medalist (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018)
• 2006 FIBA World Cup Bronze Medalist

 

[Biff]

Sue's accomplishments

• 3× WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018)
• 11× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)
• 5× All-WNBA First Team (2002–2005, 2016)
• 3× All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)
• 3× WNBA assists leader (2005, 2009, 2016))
• WNBA all-time assists leader
• 5× Russian National League champion (2007, 2008, 2012–2014)
• 5× EuroLeague champion (2007–2010, 2013)
• 2× Europe SuperCup winner (2009, 2010)
• 2× NCAA champion (2000, 2002)
• 4× Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
• 4× FIBA World Cup Gold Medalist (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018)
• 2006 FIBA World Cup Bronze Medalist

Apparently that's all invalidated by Sue's 0.1 WNBA block per game average so.....

 

[nwhoopfan]

Clearly Bird has accomplished more throughout her career than Vandersloot has. Just as clearly, Sue has had more overall talent around her during her career than Courtney has. Make of that whatever you will.


Just out of curiosity I took a look at turnovers for comparison. Seems like Sloot has a reputation of being more of a gambler and a bit careless with her passes. Stats are a bit surprising. Sue averages 2.5 TO/game during her career to Sloot's 2.7/game. I'd say that's pretty negligible.

 

[Dokey]

No, too many careless passes.

 

[Orangutan]

This thread is so depressing. Only one person here actually believes the answer to the thread's titular question could possibly be yes.

So it just serves as an opportunity for people to be negative about a great player.

 

[nwhoopfan]

No, too many careless passes.

Seriously, look at the post directly above yours. Sloot has averaged 0.2 more TOs per game over her career than Bird has. All of those alleged careless passes have led to about the same number of TOs as Sue. So......

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sue's accomplishments

• 3× WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018)
• 11× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)
• 5× All-WNBA First Team (2002–2005, 2016)
• 3× All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)
• 3× WNBA assists leader (2005, 2009, 2016))
• WNBA all-time assists leader
• 5× Russian National League champion (2007, 2008, 2012–2014)
• 5× EuroLeague champion (2007–2010, 2013)
• 2× Europe SuperCup winner (2009, 2010)
• 2× NCAA champion (2000, 2002)
• 4× Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
• 4× FIBA World Cup Gold Medalist (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018)
• 2006 FIBA World Cup Bronze Medalist

That's a very nice mix of individual AND team accomplishments. The 11 All-Star selections are a record. Sloot has 2.

In addition, Sue is the most decorated player in USA Basketball and FIBA history. (Her lanky teammate in Seattle is on pace to match or surpass Sue's FIBA totals, but she is more than a decade behind.)

That last item--freaking Bronze medal--still motivates Sue. Sue does not like Bronze!