"Pippen finally got their MJ" - Fans react as Hailey Van Lith reunites with Angel Reese after Sky pick ex LSU star

Modified Apr 15, 2025 07:18 GMT

WNBA: Draft - Source: Imagn — WNBA: Draft Hailey Van Lith gets drafted by Chicago Sky. Source: Imagn

The Chicago Sky drafted Hailey Van Lith with the 11th pick on Monday night, filling a key roster spot with one of Angel Reese's former teammates.

Van Lith, who played with Reese during the 2023 season at LSU, is renowned for her playmaking and scoring but questions about her less than stellar defensive presence still persist.

WNBA fans reacted to this reunion with a great deal of enthusiasm on X (formerly Twitter).

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"Pippen finally got their MJ," wrote one fan.

"Maybe it’ll work better for them in the league but it wasn’t like this combo was all that at LSU," said another fan.

"What an absolute STEAL at 11," wrote another fan.

"They’ll have a chance to do what they don’t do in college. Hailey has really improved tremendously I think she will be a great fit for Chicago Sky and help elevate Angel's game" - Said one optimistic fan

"They will win a championship in 2 years! don’t let Hailey Van Lith down!!!" - Predicted another fan

Hailey Van Lith had the least succesful season of her college career playing alongside Reese averaging 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists as she found herself increasingly alienated on the Tigers roster. She has since revealed that she shared a cordial relationship with Reese despite not knowing her very well.

A change of scenery benefitted Van Lith in 2024 as she jumped to the TCU Horned Frogs for her final year of college eligibility. In a highly acclaimed season, she had her best season, averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Hailey Van Lith praises Angel Reese's leadership style

Shortly after Van Lith was drafted, Reese took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to address the addition of her old teammate for the Chicago Sky.

"We ain’t do it right the first time. Let’s run it backkkkk" - Posted Reese on X

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Van Lith was interviewed shortly after being drafted and asked to share her opinion on the young Chicago Sky leader who referenced them coming up short against Caitlin Clark's Iowa in the Elite 8 in 2023, in her welcome post.

"We have a very mature relationship, a very a mutual respect relationship, where we both have respect for each other's game and also the character in the person we are off the court. So mostly I'm just excited to get to be around her again." Hailey Van Lith revealed, "I think we have a lot of similarities about how we carry ourselves and our mindset on, you know, what's important to us? And you know, she's a dawg, man and she she she turns up the intensity of everybody around her. So I'm excited to be in that environment with her again where she can pull more out of even than I think I have."

Van Lith will have the opportunity to deputize under veteran Point Guard Courtney Vandersloot who made a stunning return to Chicago in the offseason. An apprenticeship like that could be just what she needs to have a succesful WNBA career.

About the author

Amlan Sanyal is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with more than two years of experience. Amlan has a soft spot for the lovable loser, and years of supporting Leeds Utd, the Seattle Mariners and San Antonio Spurs have made him realize that there's more to sport than just championships.

Amlan started falling for basketball after watching the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and 2013. He watched as a collective of veteran legends, underrated misfits and a young defensive stud extended the Spurs' era of dominance with a team-oriented style, reminiscent of the aesthetic brilliance of 2011 FC Barcelona.

Amlan has supported the Spurs ever since, even after enduring the heartbreaks of Ray Allen's corner three and several years in the wilderness post-Kawhi Leonard. He hopes Victor Wembanyama will become the face of the league as Pop rides off into the sunset.

When not working, Amlan is a keen quizzer and a podcast buff and can usually be found reading books, watching movies or listening to history podcasts.

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Edited by Amlan Sanyal