Selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, Hailey Van Lith had a different experience in the league. The Chicago Sky rookie maintained the starter and winner status throughout her career. During her college career, she was the first player to lead three different programs to the Elite Eight stage. But at the pro level, she hardly makes any difference.
The star averages 4.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in nearly 14 minutes. That would have been acceptable if the team were on a winning run or getting consistency from its starters. The 2025 rookie highlighted this in a recent interview.
Hailey Van Lith Talks About Role In Chicago Sky And Recent Losses
The franchise has a 7-19 record in the ongoing season and is in 12th position. The 2021 champions’ playoff dream is fading for the second consecutive season. Unavailability of players and inconsistency at both ends played a massive role in this downfall. The former LSU star talked about this and also highlighted her struggles with the change in her role in the WNBA.
“I’ve never came off the bench in my career. And so learning how to change my mindset to be able to do that and still be myself and still impact the team and help the team win, and like the different ways that I can contribute to culture and winning habits that don’t necessarily mean that I’m always on the floor. So it’s still going on. I’m still going through the process,” Hailey Van Lith told Renee Montgomery (Via YT/BleacherReport).
The point guard had been a focal point for her teams so far. Taking a bench role was a complete shift for her. She added that in the beginning, she took her role for granted and is now starting to learn and understand the game while on the bench. Lith also mentioned that the losing part is shocking to her right now. But she is looking to learn from it too.
Two-time champion and show interviewer Montgomery gave her some advice on how to deal with her “role player” status and how she can impact the game even coming off the bench. The Chicago Sky will host the Golden State Valkyries next on August 1. The rookie will hope to make an impact on the game and work towards getting more game time.
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Coach Tyler Marsh Explains Hailey Van Lith’s Bench Role
The Chicago Sky built a team around their star forward pair, Kamila Cardoso and Angel Reese. Both former NCAA Champions have been shining spots in the 2024 season. The team added experienced Courtney Vandersloot to back its forward line. At the start of the season, the team relied on Sloot as the primary ball handler and wanted the 2025 rookie guard to learn from her.
“There are pluses and minuses to both, but I think for her (Hailey Van Lith), the opportunity to learn and to gain that experience and that knowledge from a Hall of Famer, it’s something that you can’t really put a price on, put into words,” Marsh told the media during team’s first half of the season.
With the veteran guard out for a season with an injury, HVL got some more minutes. But she has yet to impress the coach enough to earn a starting role. In 21 games played so far, the TCU guard has not started a game yet. She will be looking to change this status in the upcoming games.
Also Read: Kamilla Cardoso Receives Clear Message From Chicago Sky Coach After Major Role Change