For the first time since 2017, Courtney Vandersloot didn’t have her name called by the PA announcer during the starting lineup introductions prior to a game she appeared in. The five-time All-Star and five-time All-WNBA guard was relegated to the bench in favor of Leonie Fiebich, who got the start in her first-ever WNBA playoff game. Fiebich produced quickly, mustering a team-high 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including four made treys, in 25 minutes of action. The decision was made a day before Sunday’s first-round Game 1 win over the Atlanta Dream. And the move is one that Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello will keep “for now” as the team hopes to progress to a second straight WNBA Finals appearance. “I think it was just having a discussion. I’m always very respectful. I have trust in Sloot… So she handled it and she wants to win,” the head coach said when asked how Vandersloot handled the news of coming off the bench for the first time in seven years,” the coach said. “That shows a lot of her mentality: whatever is best for the team is best for her.” While Brondello credited Vandersloot for her mentality in Sunday’s win, the guard admitted that the reserve role is “new to me.” Both Brondello and Vandersloot said the change is an opportunity for Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to get rest while adding the veteran guard’s playmaking leading the second unit. The 35-year-old eventually finished with four points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 16 minutes. “You like to think that nothing changes and everything but the flow of the game is different when you come in there off the bench,” Vandersloot said. “It’s almost like a shock to your system how fast things are. People are already warmed up and you’re not. That’s part of the game. “I think today was good to just get my feet wet and kind of see what’s different for me. But my game is going to be the same, you know? And as soon as I get out there I want to impact the game however this team needs.” Vandersloot’s candid statements continued by admitting “it’s going to take me a second to adjust to this because it is different. I just don’t have that experience, which is fine. It’s going to take some time. But I was really happy for Leo. I think it was a really great adjustment for us. And she was incredible tonight.” During the regular season, Fiebich started 15 games during her 40-game rookie season. She helped the Liberty stay atop the WNBA standings while Laney-Hamilton dealt with knee injuries. The German also filled in when Vandersloot missed time due to the death of her mother. While being a pest on defense, Fiebich averaged 6.7 points and three boards in 2024. And her experience playing overseas made Fiebich’s WNBA transition more seamless than other rookies around the league. “She’s a rookie to the WNBA but she’s not a rookie to playing pro,” Vandersloot said. “She came in pro ready, and we knew it right from the beginning that she was going to play a big role.” With the Liberty a game away from advancing to the second round of the postseason, Vandersloot is embracing her new role and added that it doesn’t “hurt” her confidence, “but it definitely is a different mentality.” Before saying that Brondello’s move “was a smart and efficient change,” the guard admitted: “It’s never a good feeling to go from the starting lineup to the bench.” While the Liberty dominated the regular season, Vandersloot stayed in the starting lineup, but spent time on the bench late in tight games during the second half of the season. The team’s depth allowed Brondello to have that flexibility and Sunday’s Game 1 showed the move could continue throughout the postseason. “I think we’re making it more than what it is,” Vandersloot told reporters after being peppered with questions on the topic. “This is just a playoff adjustment. We’re moving forward. We’re trying to win games, and this is what they felt is best.”