Hailey Van Lith stats tonight: How did Sky rookie fare vs defending champion Liberty? (May 22)

Hailey Van Lith made her second appearance of her rookie season as the Chicago Sky took on the reigning champions, the New York Liberty, on Thursday. The Liberty put on an offensive clinic en route to a 99-74 rout, keeping the Sky winless.

Van Lith checked in late in the first quarter with the Liberty leading 23-16 and wasted no time making an impact, sinking two free throws and finding Michaela Onyenwere for a buzzer-beater to cut the deficit to 28-23.

She returned late in the second quarter and recorded another assist, this time setting up Elizabeth Williams for a 3-pointer.

But the second quarter belonged to the Liberty, who dominated with a 25-9 run. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu each tallied 12 points to give New York a commanding 53-32 halftime lead.

Van Lith ended the first half with two points and two assists, missing all three of her shot attempts.

The Liberty stayed in control after the break, holding Van Lith scoreless from the field, though she managed to hand out four more assists and knock down two additional free throws.

Below are Hailey Van Lith’s full stats.

Player	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	TOV	STL	BLK	PF	=+/-
Hailey Van Lith	15:23	4	0	6	0	4	0.0	0	3	0.0	4	6	66.7	0	0	0	0	0	0	-6

In the Sky’s losing effort, Rachel Banham led with 16 points off the bench, followed by Rebecca Allen with 11. Courtney Vandersloot paced the starters with 14.

New York had contributions across the board, led by new addition Natasha Cloud’s 18, Kennedy Burke’s 17 off the bench, and starters Ionescu (16), Stewart (12) and Jonquel Jones (11) all hitting double figures.

As a team, the Liberty shot a blazing 55.2% and knocked down 19 of their 34 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Sky hit just 36.2% overall and went 11-of-27 from deep.

Sky coach talks about Hailey Van Lith’s minutes

Hailey Van Lith backs up veteran champion Courtney Vandersloot, and while her rookie campaign has been quiet so far, Sky coach Tyler Marsh remains optimistic about her development.

"We'll see that as the game comes," Marsh said about Van Lith’s role before their Liberty matchup. "We've loved what Hailey's progress has been over the course of the three weeks that we've been together.”

Marsh added that Van Lith is soaking up knowledge from the team’s veterans.

“She's continued to be a sponge and to learn from our staff and Courtney (Vandersloot). So, we're looking forward to big things for her."

Up next for the Sky is a Sunday clash with the LA Sparks, followed by a matchup with the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.