Hailey Van Lith WNBA Draft projection and comparison: TCU star's stock analyzed after impressive season

Hailey Van Lith ended one of the best women's college basketball careers in recent memory when she fell to the Texas Longhorns in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Van Lith is expected to declare for the 2025 WNBA draft now that her collegiate career is over, and her stock saw a big boost thanks to her tournament performances.

Hailey Van Lith's time playing college basketball spanned five seasons and three teams. Remarkably, Van Lith led her teams to at least the Sweet 16 in every single one of her years in school and was one win away from leading the TCU Horned Frogs to the Final Four this year, which would have been her second appearance in the NCAA Tournament semifinals after getting there with Louisville.

Hailey Van Lith might be one of the older players in this year's WNBA draft class, but her extra year at TCU helped her display her ability as a leader. She carries a high level of confidence with her as she plays, but her teammates and coaches have applauded her commitment to buying in to her team and making her teammates better, both of which are valuable skills in the WNBA.

Hailey Van Lith's WNBA Draft projection

According to ESPN's latest WNBA mock draft, Hailey Van Lith is projected to be selected with the ninth overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks. However, a lot has changed since the mock draft was released on March 25th. Olivia Miles, who was projected to be picked second overall, chose to forego the WNBA draft and transferred to TCU, who beat her in the tournament behind Van Lith's scoring.

With Miles bowing out of the WNBA draft, Hailey Van Lith and the other prospects who were mocked to be picked after her will likely all move up one spot. For Van Lith, that has her being picked at eighth overall by the Connecticut Sun if the draft goes how ESPN projects it, too. However, Van Lith could be picked earlier than expected, thanks to her stellar play during her senior season.

Hailey Van Lith, who was the Big 12 player of the year and the Big 12 tournament MVP, impressed WNBA scouts throughout the season as she shouldered the bulk of the offensive responsibility. However, her biggest area of growth from last year to now is her defense. After being exposed by Iowa's Caitlin Clark in last year's tournament, Van Lith has grown herself into a capable perimeter defender.

Hailey Van Lith WNBA comparison

When she enters the WNBA, it is unlikely that Hailey Van Lith will walk through the door as her team's leading scorer, but she still brings a lot of positives to whatever team picks her in the draft. When it comes to comparisons, Van Lith has reminded WNBA experts of some of the elite shooters and scorers that have found success in recent years.

The Chicago Sky have the tenth overall pick in the draft and are in prime position to steal Van Lith if she ends up slipping down the draft board. If she does end up in Chicago, she will have the veteran presence of Courtney Vandersloot to help her adjust to the league. Both Van Lith and Vandersloot have competitive mindsets and three-point shooting skills that would thrive in today's era.

While a little undersized, the 5-foot-9 guard possesses sufficient offense to become one of the league's best scorers if she can unlock her potential. Van Lith has been likened to All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu because of her shooting and overall scoring prowess as a scorer and playmaker. If Van Lith follows Ionescu's path, then she might have a long, successful WNBA career.