May 21, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) looks to the bench in the first quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Hailey Van Lith's Jarring Personal Appearance Change Turns Heads

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 12:49 PM ET

There was a lot of excitement when the Chicago Sky drafted college basketball star Hailey Van Lith with the No. 11 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft. Not only did Van Lith become a household name in the women's basketball community during her college tenure (which included stops at Louisville, LSU, and TCU), but the fact that she was reuniting with former LSU teammate Angel Reese in Chicago was heartwarming for fans to see.

Not to mention that fans believed Van Lith would be a great fit for the Sky's offense, as they were in desperate need of a guard who could make plays for teammates and drain three-pointers.

Unfortunately, things haven't quite worked out in the way most were hoping, as Van Lith has struggled to carve out a clear role for herself coming off the Sky's bench. While she averages 12.7 minutes per game, there are contests where she plays only a few minutes, mostly in garbage time.

And Van Lith's 3.6 points and 1.6 assists per game averages show that she isn't making a huge impact on offense, either. This comes after fans were hoping Van Lith would pick up the point guard slack that came when Courtney Vandersloot tore her ACL earlier this season.

Hailey Van Lith Makes Major Hairstyle Change

Perhaps the most distinctive part of Van Lith's appearance was her platinum-blond hair, which has been a way fans have been able to identify her on the court for years. However, fans will need to get used to a jarring new look after Van Lith revealed that she had changed her hair color from platinum blonde to strawberry blonde (or red, in other words).

Fans first took note of this change from Van Lith when the Sky's social media accounts posted pregame outfit photos before their August 23 game against the Connecticut Sun. Van Lith was posing with her hairdo in one of the photos they published.

But several other photos of Van Lith's new hair have since surfaced, with X user @leaguefits posting several on August 25, with the caption, "chicago's newest redhead: hailey van lith. ".

chicago's newest redhead: hailey van lith. pic.twitter.com/RaLFgmFL1M
— LeagueFits (@leaguefits) August 25, 2025

Perhaps this new look can kickstart a solid end to Van Lith's rookie season. While she only played four minutes against the Sun on Saturday, Chicago already being out of playoff contention could compel head coach Tyler Marsh to give Van Lith more minutes in the team's final eight games, if only to assess her roster spot for next season.

This article first appeared on Women's Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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