As a first-round draft pick by the Sky, how will Hailey Van Lith adapt to the WNBA?

NEW YORK No matter which team Hailey Van Lith was playing for during her five-year college career, her seasons always ended similarly.

Earlier this month, Van Lith competed in the Elite Eight for the fifth time in as many years.

Over her first three seasons at Louisville, her 2023-24 season at LSU, and most recent year at TCU, she became the first player in NCAA history mens or womens to reach that point of the tournament with three different teams.

Advertisement The Chicago Sky took notice.

No matter what system Van Lith competed in, she helped the program succeed.

Id say her biggest skill is her ability to adjust, adapt and still come out on top, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said.

The Sky hope Van Lith can replicate her college successes in the pros, after she was selected No.

11 in Mondays WNBA Draft.

Although she was a college star, Van Lith will likely be part of Chicagos supporting cast, especially in the short term.

Veterans will be playing in front of her, and she will need to adjust to the WNBAs size and physicality.

How well Van Lith adapts to the professional ranks will determine her career path her longevity in the league, what role she ends up playing, and whether, over time, she can grow into a W star.

Hailey Van Lith is heading to Chicago as the No.

11 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft presented by @StateFarm ! pic.twitter.com/gNr3Vvi9qE WNBA (@WNBA) April 15, 2025 Van Lith is the latest addition to Chicagos retooled backcourt.

The franchise brought back five-time All-Star Courtney Vandersloot in free agency this offseason after her two-year stint with the New York Liberty.

The Sky later traded for two-time All-Star and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Ariel Atkins.

Atkins, 28, has developed into one of the best defensive guards in the WNBA.

Chicago coach Tyler Marsh noted that the Sky want players in their backcourt who are willing to pressure the basketball and compete defensively.

Van Lith checks that box, though one WNBA general manager told The Athletic that Van Lith will need to learn to be strategic when guarding players who are bigger and faster than her.

Vandersloot, a seven-time WNBA assist leader, has found success slivering around screens to find open teammates.

Van Lith aims to replicate that on the next level, too.

Advertisement Thriving in TCUs pro-style system should help Van Lith acclimate.

The Horned Frogs utilize a pick-and-roll heavy offense, which allowed Van Lith to create in space.

A three-level scorer, she routinely showcased her craftiness in getting to the rim and proved she could finish above bigger players.

Van Lith shot 65.6 percent around the basket last season, well above the national average, according to CBB Analytics.

She also proved effective on drives that stopped short of the rim, shooting nearly 52 percent on non-rim paint attempts.

Whether she can find similar success in Chicago will help determine her impact.

Her ability to hit open 3s will also be important.

Van Lith was a high-usage scorer in college, but shes likely to get fewer touches as a rookie.

That could put even more weight on each open jumper.

At TCU last season, she shot just 30.8 percent on left-wing 3s and 29.4 percent on top-of-the-key 3s.

Theres room for improvement there, too.

It should help that Van Lith has experience playing with and against pros.

She played on Team USAs 33 team at the Paris Olympics, competing alongside WNBA All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby.

Although the format is different from the WNBA, Van Lith didnt look out of place.

Familiarity with one of Chicagos stars is also a benefit.

Van Lith will reunite with All-Star forward Angel Reese, with whom she was an LSU teammate during the 2023-24 season.

Even after she transferred to TCU and Reese was drafted, they have kept in touch.

Van Lith said they share a similar mindset and regularly turn up the intensity.

Shes a dog, Van Lith said.

Im excited to be in that environment with her again, where she can pull more out of me than I think I have.

Shortly after Van Lith was selected, Reese re-shared a photo of them celebrating together.

We aint do it right the first time.

Lets run it backkkkk https://t.co/8PXLsHkUyN Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 15, 2025 Their one season together at LSU ended in the Elite Eight, with Van Lith averaging her fewest points (11.6) since her freshman season on a career-low 37.8 percent shooting from the field.

The move to TCU provided Van Lith with a reset under coach Mark Campbell.

She set single-season school records for assists and points while raising her draft stock in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advertisement Marshs player development background could prove helpful to Van Liths pro career.

She has a winning mindset, he said.

She has a toughness about her.

Theres no complacency there in terms of what her improvement and potential can be.

And thats part of the culture we want to build here in Chicago.

Chicago has other veteran guards in Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham.

But Pagliocca said he can foresee Van Lith playing either on- or off-ball.

Her versatility should help her find a way onto the floor, even if she is only the teams fourth guard.

With a likely smaller role at least to start than she served in college, the franchise appears excited about her future.

Her ability to adjust gives me confidence that adjusting to that on the W level is something that shell be able to do, and shes going to give us 110 percent in doing so, Marsh said.

On Monday night, Van Lith didnt seem to dwell on her potential role.

Perhaps, in time, shell develop into a franchise cornerstone, or shell just be a key contributor off the bench.

That all seemed unimportant on draft night.

All I have asked for is an opportunity my whole career, and I couldnt be more honored and blessed that they were the team that gave me the opportunity, Van Lith said.

Added Marsh: Theres a lot to like about where she is now as a player.

And a whole lot to love about where she can be moving forward.

(Photo of Hailey Van Lith: Elsa / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6281913/2025/04/16/hailey-van-lith-chicago-sky-wnba-draft/