Hailey Van Lith won’t let the Chicago Sky down: She’s ready to level up next to Angel Reese

With scoring, playmaking, and Olympic poise, the rookie says she’s “more ready than people think.”

After a tough season that ended outside the playoff picture, the Chicago Sky made it clear they’re ready to reshape the franchise-and they’re doing it with a guard who’s been reshaping herself.

Hailey Van Lith is stepping into the WNBA with a new identity. Known early in her college career as a pure scorer, Van Lith has evolved. Her senior year at TCU saw her average 17.9 points and 5.6 assists per game-a shift that didn’t happen overnight. It came from months of refining her game and, maybe more importantly, redefining her mindset.

“When I was younger, it was always about buckets,” she told SLAM Magazine. “But now I’m learning how to control the flow, how to lead.”

That transformation is exactly what Chicago saw when they selected her 11th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. And for a team that ranked second-to-last in points per game last season, they’re banking on Van Lith’s ability to both score and distribute-something they’ve been missing since Courtney Vandersloot left in 2023.

A new kind of point guard: Not pass-first, not selfish-just balanced

Van Lith isn’t claiming to be the next pass-first floor general, and she’s not trying to be a Kyrie Irving clone either-even if he was her biggest influence. She’s leaning into her own version of control: confident, gritty, and calculated.

That mentality helped lead TCU to a huge win over North Carolina, where Van Lith notched 18 points and 10 assists. It was a performance that turned heads and, arguably, turned her career. “I’m kind of becoming a new player,” she said. “I was the scorer. Now, I’m also the playmaker.”

What excites the Sky is that she’s still growing. GM Jeff Pagliocca emphasized her ability to adapt quickly-something crucial in a league known for physical, fast-paced play. “She finds ways to win, no matter the role,” he said.

Van Lith’s Olympic experience helped prepare her for that reality, as she went toe-to-toe with veterans under pressure. It’s one of the reasons coach Teresa Marsh didn’t hesitate when the draft board aligned. “She brings the toughness and IQ we need,”Marsh noted.

And yes, there are still areas to work on. As The Athletic reported, some GMs questioned how she’ll hold up defensively against bigger guards. But the Sky were transparent with her about that from day one. No surprises-just strategy. “They told me straight up what they needed from me,”Van Lith shared. “And it lined up with what I was already working on.”

The franchise has been busy. Along with Van Lith, they added veteran Ariel Atkins-a two-way guard who brings six years of experience and five All-Defensive Team honors. Her presence creates a natural balance between youth and leadership, and could give Van Lith room to grow without being expected to carry everything from day one.

The Sky are still a team in transition, but there’s a clear identity forming: tough, smart, and fast. And Van Lith? She might just be the new engine behind that.