History via Hardin: Courtney Vandersloot WNBA Chicago Sky's all-time leading scorer

BILLINGS — Just a few months ago, MTN Sports was in Hardin visiting Courtney Vandersloot’s grandparents, Bob and Pearl, in the house where Courtney's father, Bill, grew up and where Courtney spent summers shooting hoops on her way to the WNBA.

The old dirt court looks like now, grown over with grass in Big Sky Country.

On Thursday night, Vandersloot made history as the Chicago Sky superstar became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing 3,728 points. She also finished the night as Chicago’s all-time leader in field goals with 1,390. In a twist of irony, she surpassed her retired wife, Allie Quigley, who had held both records.

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“For me to pass my wife, kind of what I talked about was our commitment to this franchise. You know, she’s a scorer and deserves this record, but I think she’s going to let me hold on to it for a while," Vandersloot said with a smile.

The milestone bucket came during the third quarter of Chicago’s win over the Dallas Wings.

“I had lost track of how many points I had, so I was unaware until I heard the crowd,” Vandersloot recalled. “So, I was like, wait a second.”

Quigley captured the memorable moment on her cell phone, while their daughter, Jana, just two months old, was also present.

“I think it was a big moment, you know, big plays down the stretch to help us get the win,” Vandersloot said. “To get the record would not have been as exciting if we didn’t get the win. It’s basically, if anyone’s going to beat it, she’s glad it’s me. But we’ll be a one-two punch for a while.”

Vandersloot officially surpassed Quigley’s record of 3,273 points and 1,386 field goals. On top of her 13 points, Vandersloot added nine assists and four steals to her stats during Thursday's win.

On her Instagram stories after the game, Vandersloot reposted a video of her wife's reaction and jokingly wrote, "A little happy, a little mad," adding a laughing emoji.

Drafted by the Sky with the third overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft out of Gonzaga, Vandersloot spent 12 years in Chicago, capturing one WNBA title before winning another last October with New York.

But now back in Chicago, she ironically set the pair of records on Cancer Awareness Night, just months after losing her mother to cancer last June.

Now miles away, Courtney continues to inspire the next generation to shoot hoops in their own driveways while shooting for the sky, much like she did under Montana’s big sky.