Sky's Hailey Van Lith happy with to be with franchise

Hailey Van Lith poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the number eleven overall pick to the Chicago Sky in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

After winding college journey, Sky's Hailey Van Lith happy with WNBA destination

By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Apr 18, 2025 4:22 PM ET

With their second first-round pick of the WNBA Draft, the Chicago Sky selected one of the most notable names in the 2025 class in Hailey Van Lith.

Van Lith transferred to TCU for her senior season following stints at LSU and Louisville. Her production saw a notable uptick with a larger role, as she posted averages of 17.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 5.4 APG. After slipping out of the first round in mock drafts, she found herself selected just outside the top 10 on Monday.

While addressing the media after the draft, she was asked her thoughts on winding up with the Sky. She reflected on how positive her pre-draft process was with Chicago and that it was at the top of her desired landing spots.

"I had a few great conversations," Van Lith said. "Deep in my heart, I wanted to come to the Sky. Just with the two quick conversations I had, I felt a ton of alignment and I felt like they saw who I was as a player, and I felt valued."

Aside from positive talks, personnel might also have played a factor in Van Lith wanting to be with the Sky. She's now set to reunite with Angel Reese, whom she played with in college at LSU.

While Van Lith was always a talented performer in college, she found herself constantly on the move looking for the right situation. Based on her comments regarding the Sky, that doesn't seem like it will have to be the case in the WNBA.

Van Lith was candid about how the organization sees her as a player, which seems to be a driving factor of her gratefulness to wind up in Chicago. Their goals seem to be in line with how she views her growth moving forward, which could result in a long-term partnership.

Looking at their core, Van Lith has an opportunity to have a prominent role on the Sky. She'll likely be tasked with leading the backcourt and have a pair of promising frontcourt talents with whom to build a strong two-woman game.

After just missing the playoffs last season, the Sky will look to keep climbing up the standings in 2025. Now with a young trio of Van Lith, Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago has a core that should keep it competitive for the foreseeable future.

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer for Yardbarker with years of experience in the journalism field. Based out of Philadelphia, he graduated from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management in 2019. Since then, Kevin has gone on to build a career in sports writing

More must-reads: