Hailey Van Lith: A Battle-Tested Star Arrives in Chicago

The chip on Hailey Van Lith’s shoulder keeps getting bigger and bigger.

On draft night, Van Lith was very thankful and appreciative of the Chicago Sky taking a chance on her. Before anyone could ask her a single question, she thanked the organization for believing in her — doing all of this while looking as if the Sky, their fans, and the city of Chicago would not regret their choice to select her No. 8 overall.

Winners Circle

The Sky made a wise decision by bringing someone into their fray as decorated and celebrated as Van Lith. Leaving college, Van Lith is one of the most experienced and competitive guards in the draft class. The 5’9” dynamo made history by reaching the Elite Eight with three different programs—Louisville, LSU, and TCU.

Adding that type of winner to the locker room will be a boon for their team. The Sky already have a multitude of players on their team that have winning habits.

Kamilla Cardoso left South Carolina winning a national championship.

Angel Reese won an NCAA championship leaving LSU, where she was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Additionally, Reese is coming off a championship after winning the Unrivaled league, where she was named their Defensive Player of the Year.

The two have a budding relationship that continues to grow because of how similar they are.

“Angel has maintained contact with me…I really appreciate her. We have a very mature relationship…a mutual respect relationship…mostly I’m excited to be around her again. We have a lot of similarities on how we carry ourselves…she’s a dog. She turns up the intensity of everybody around her” said van lith.

The Sloot Effect

Speaking of winning… Courtney Vandersloot is someone that will play a huge role in Van Lith’s development.

Vandersloot is one of the biggest reasons why the Sky franchise won a championship in 2021. Additionally, she is fresh off a WNBA title with the New York Liberty.

For Van Lith, the former Big 12 Player of the Year, All-American selection, and Naismith semifinalist, she has an amazing mentor.

Some of the traits she shares with Sloot are ironically uncanny, as both present great leadership and toughness. Under Vandersloot’s tutelage, she will be able to really understand and think the game of basketball at a higher level.

Where Vandersloot thrives as a facilitator, Van Lith thrives as a scoring guard. It’s the scoring ability that separates her from her peers in the draft class. With over 2,000 career points and experience in big-time moments, she’s ready to lead.

MENTALITY MATTERS

For all the talk about her scoring ability and tenacity, Van Lith credits a lot of her growth to the work she’s done on her mental game.

“The work I’ve done with my sports psychologist, Derick Grant—he’s been instrumental,” she said. “I’ve learned how to control my inner state. That impacts confidence, quality of life… even the reads I make in pick-and-rolls.”

She’s been vocal about mental health and grateful that the WNBA is stepping up to support its players. “They’re not just worried about our play, but how we’re functioning as humans,” she added. “It’s amazing the league is putting support behind that.”

Van Lith’s journey from Louisville to LSU, and finally to TCU, has been framed by many as a “revenge tour.” But to her, it was never about getting back at anyone.

“In my eyes, it wasn’t a revenge tour,” she said. “Nothing in the past hit me deep enough to carry that with me. I just wanted to grow and keep playing the game I love.”

Still, the confidence is clear: she’s battle-tested, fired up, and embracing the challenge.

“I’m just excited to see how I stack up,” Van Lith said. “This league is different. The talent is powerful because the league is small. Every day in training camp is my focus right now. I’m ready.”