On Monday, the Chicago Sky selected Hailey Van Lith with the No. 11 pick of the 2025 WNBA draft. The Sky gave up their 2026 first-round pick to the Minnesota Lynx less than 24 hours earlier to secure the No. 11 pick and get the former TCU star. Chicago reunited Van Lith with Angel Reese, whom she played with during the 2023-24 season at LSU.
Van Lith surged up the draft board following a fantastic year with the Horned Frogs. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, leading her school to the Elite Eight.
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The Sky added perimeter help in the offseason. They added Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins, who will likely form the starting backcourt. Van Lith could come off the bench and learn from the former All-Stars. The incoming rookie will be competing for minutes against veteran guards Rachel Banham, Kia Nurse and Moriah Jefferson.
Chicago retooled the roster around Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. One year of playing with Reese and competing against Cardoso were possible factors the Sky considered in drafting Hailey Van Lith. She has the chemistry with the Chi Barbie and the familiarity with the Brazilian to fit right into the team's plans.
In that area, Van Lith has a leg up over fellow first-rounder Ajsa Sivka and the team's two second-rounders.
Hailey Van Lith continues her redemption run
In her one year with LSU, Hailey Van Lith averaged 11.6 PPG after putting up 19.7 PPG in her last year with Louisville. Van Lith, knowing her stock was not high, decided to put her plan to join the WNBA on hold. She bet on herself by going to TCU, where she ended up having her best year in college basketball.
This led to the Chicago Sky grabbing her in the first round when some mock drafts saw her landing in the second.
The grit and resilience Hailey Van Lith showed in college should serve her well in the pros.
