Introduction to Hailey Van Lith’s WNBA Journey

First Professional Practice

Tension sat in the air around Hailey Van Lith as she prepared for her first professional basketball practice Sunday. But once shots went up, she got into a groove and anxiety faded into what she’s always known how to do.
Have fun playing basketball.
"I thought at the end of practice when we were scrimmaging, I was loving it," Van Lith told Kaitlin Sharkey in a 1-on-1 interview Sunday. "It was fun. The atmosphere was great. It was competitive. I had a good time with the girls."
The last four-plus weeks have been a whirlwind for Van Lith.
Previous Coverage: Chicago Sky select Ajsa Sivka, Hailey Van Lith in WNBA Draft

Adjusting to the New Environment

After her college squad, TCU, lost to Texas in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament on March 31, she had a two-week turnaround to prepare for the WNBA draft on April 14. Three days after being selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th pick, Van Lith appeared in her first press conference as a member of the Sky. A week-and-a-half after that, she checked off her first practice.
"I’m really trying to focus on, is just [taking it] one day at a time, being fully present to enjoy each day as much as I can, learn each day as much as I can, and then just stacking one good day on top of another," Van Lith said.
While she works on stacking good days together, two things became clear for Van Lith as she ingratiated herself within the Sky organization.
The first was she felt like the offensive concept that new head coach Tyler Marsh is trying to put in place is one her game is equipped to be a part of.
"The point guard has to get downhill, make plays, be able to score [and] be able to set people up to score," Van Lith said. "I think that’s kind of what I do best. And also, I can float to the two sometimes. and I can still play my game. I think it provides me a good opportunity to make an impact at any position that they could need me at."
The second was the competitive energy that flows through the franchise.
"I just think competitively, like the type of energy that the girls have and the coaching staff has, I align well with the mindset." Van Lith said. "I think Chicago is a great fit for me and I’m honestly super excited for tomorrow now."

Learning from Veterans

As today, tomorrow, and the rest of the days during the WNBA season unfold, there are plenty of interesting storylines at play when it comes to Van Lith’s fledgling career in the WNBA.
One is excitement to learn from a veteran point guard like Courtney Vandersloot.
Vandersloot—a five-time All-WNBA selection, seven-time league leader in assists, and two-time WNBA champion—rejoined the Sky after a two-year stint with the New York Liberty. She helped the Sky win their first WNBA Championship in 2021, before helping the Liberty do the same in 2024.
"I mean all practice, she probably thought I was stalking her. I was literally staring at her all practice, like what are you doing right now? What read are you making?" Van Lith said, with a laugh. "But especially when we were playing and my team wasn’t on, getting to see her make reads and manipulate defenses in live action, I’m super blessed to have her in the gym and be able to learn from her.
"If I could pick any vet in the league, she would be the one that I would pick to learn from. So, I think I’m just going to literally stare at her as much as I can."
Through a few more laughs, Van Lith said Vandersloot has been a great teammate to be around in the short time she’s been with the team, but she’s not the only person she’s learning from.

Reunited with Angel Reese

Van Lith also highlighted what it’s like to learn to play with WNBA bigs, and how to best work with their tendencies.
"Learning with skilled bigs and experienced bigs, they can really help me," Van Lith said. "You know, when to find them, where they want the ball, and they’re vocal about it. They’ll let me know, and that will help me learn. So, [there’s] a ton of people in the gym that I can learn from, but that can also push me to get better."
One of those skilled bigs Van Lith is tasked to play with is a former teammate: Angel Reese.
Van Lith and Reese played a season of college ball together at LSU in 2023-24, when the pair ended their season on a 94-87 loss to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
More info: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese’s return to college for WNBA preseason games to be shown on national TV
After the season, Reese went on to enter the WNBA draft and embark on a successful rookie season where she established herself as a double-double machine in the WNBA, while Van Lith transferred to TCU to find a better fit for her during her final year of college eligibility and became the Big 12’s Conference Player of the Year.
Having been in her shoes just a year prior, Reese has already put herself in Van Lith’s corner and offered words of support to her and other rookies.
"I know there’s probably a lot of pressure on her from the outside. I know how it is, just being the big name coming to town that’s expected to do big things," Reese said after practice Sunday. "[I’m] just telling her, stay calm. Stay poised. Me and Hailey have a great relationship. I love her and just being able to be here for her in this moment because last year was tough for me because I didn’t have a lot of vets.
"So just being that big sister to her this year, it’s super important to her."
Van Lith said the two haven’t missed a beat since being reunited for the first time since their LSU days.
"Me and Angel picked up right where we left off." Van Lith said. "We had a team dinner last night and we were cracking jokes all dinner. She has great energy. I think one thing about Angel that a lot of people don’t give her credit for is she really does have a selfless leader mindset, like she had went out of her way to make sure that my mindset is right. That my energy is right. That I’m feeling comfortable."

Working with Coach Tyler Marsh

Another piece of Van Lith’s basketball equation is first-year head coach Tyler Marsh.
Marsh was hired as the Sky’s ninth head coach in franchise history on Nov. 2, 2024, and brought with him a wealth of experience working alongside one of the WNBA’s most successful head coaches in recent memory.
He spent three years as an assistant coach and head of player development under then-head coach Becky Hammon for the Las Vegas Aces. From 2022-24, the Aces made three straight playoff berths and won back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Before joining Las Vegas, Marsh worked as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers under head coaches Rick Carlisle and Nate Bjorkgren from 2020-22.
Marsh’s message to Van Lith on Sunday was that she is meant to be a part of the Sky as they work to get back to the championship heights the franchise reached at the beginning of the decade.
"Coach Ty really just said, we drafted you for a reason so, don’t feel like you necessarily have to go prove yourself. We want you here. Just go be you," Van Lith said. "At the beginning, I think I was so nervous and I wasn’t really being myself yet. But then as practice went on. I just started being me and the player they drafted me to be.
"It’s really cool when a head coach goes out of his way to talk to the rookies. I don’t think that’s super common so, I’m really looking forward to building my relationship with him, and him helping me get better."

Settling into Chicago

Outside of getting comfortable on the court with her teammates and a new head coach, Van Lith is also getting comfortable in a new city, one she said—outside of her introductory press conference—she had visited only twice before becoming a member of the Sky.
But even with a lack of familiarity, Van Lith said it’s so far, so good in her newest adventure getting acclimated to the Windy City.
"When I’m just driving downtown, there’s so much artwork and color and life and the neighborhoods are all unique," Van Lith said. "I really love it and I think I’m going to enjoy my time here. I can’t wait to explore, eat at all the good restaurants. I love that I can see the water. It reminds me a little bit of back home on the West Coast."

Conclusion

Hailey Van Lith’s journey in the WNBA has just begun, and it’s clear that she’s excited to be a part of the Chicago Sky. With the support of her teammates, including Angel Reese and Courtney Vandersloot, and the guidance of Coach Tyler Marsh, Van Lith is ready to take on the challenges of the league and make a name for herself.

FAQs

Q: Who is Hailey Van Lith’s teammate and former college teammate?

A: Angel Reese is Hailey Van Lith’s teammate and former college teammate. They played together at LSU in 2023-24