The Connecticut Sun played its first game of the season, and even though the team lost to the New York Liberty, there were many positives for the franchise. One of them is the performance of the recent addition, Hailey Van Lith.
The Chicago Sky took a bold step, handing the star a waiver. Coach Tyler Marsh reacted to Van Lith’s decision. And now the player too spoke about her experience with the Chicago team, and the Sun Team too.
Hailey Van Lith Opened Up On Her Chicago Experience
The Chicago Sky is entering desperation mode amid a massive offseason overhaul. Fans even questioned their signings after Angel Reese’s trade decision. But the team kept pushing for ‘upgrades’ and waived the former LSU star for experienced Natasha Cloud. Ahead of the first game, reporters asked the player about her experience with the Sky team.
Answering the question, the 23-year-old said, “It was similar to the transfer portal for me in college. I have to be super adaptable. You know, there is a business aspect, the professional side that I have learned about and now experienced. Its ok for the sport to be like that, because now I am getting paid to play. So it’s different dynamics added to it.”
Hailey Van Lith on what she learned from the Chicago experience:#WNBA pic.twitter.com/KSperVeorh
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) May 8, 2026
During her rookie season, the player was part of 29 games and averaged 3.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.
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Now with the new team, she would look to make a bigger impact and find a stable place in the league to be a regular starter. Interestingly, she already found a good connection with the side.
Hailey Van Lith Mentioned ‘Vibe’ with the Connecticut Sun
As for the Connecticut Sun, the franchise is playing its final season in the region, with the Houston Rockets owners taking the franchise to Texas. The front office is looking to inherit a young, talented team to shape their future, which aligns well with the 2025 rookie.
“The youthfulness of [the group], I was super excited about that. It’s trending like ‘the Young and Turnt.’ It has the ‘Young and Turnt’ vibe going. I love that, because I’m a passionate player. I have a lot of energy when I’m playing, so to have people to feed off of that also bring that vibe, I think that will just amplify us. There’s bumps and bruises to being young and having young people, but there’s also like a limitless ceiling,” Van Lith said.
After an 11th-place finish in 2025, the side will look for better outcomes in the 2026 season and hope to see the young team thriving on the floor.