Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith returned to her old stomping ground at Pete Maravich Assembly Center, the same arena she spent her collegiate years in with the LSU Tigers, on Friday to kickstart her WNBA journey. In a preseason game against the Brazilian national team, Van Lith proved her worth for the Sky, leaving head coach Tyler Marsh astonished.
Marsh, who is coaching the Sky for the first time, commended Van Lith for her fearless attitude throughout the game, fulfilling what they had assumed when the team drafted her with the No. 11 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.
"She showed no fear tonight...You saw her on the ball a lot more tonight. She's creating for others. That's what we thought we were getting when we drafted her,” Marsh, who replaced Teresa Weatherspoon as head coach during the offseason, said.
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Van Lith posted seven points, four assists and three rebounds in just 13 minutes of playing time off the bench for the Sky, who dominated Brazil, 89-62. Van Lith was relentless in attacking Brazil's defense, taking in shooting fouls to go perfect from the free throw line at 5-for-5.
Van Lith only entered the game in the second half, allowing her to gel with the team and experience some WNBA competition.
She was also familiar with the court, as she played at LSU during the 2023-2024 season, when she was a teammate of Sky’s superstar Angel Reese, before transferring to TCU.
The 5-foot-9 guard is expected to carve out more minutes in the Sky’s rotation in upcoming preseason games and during the regular season.
Hailey Van Lith gets praise from Sky’s superstar Angel Reese after first-ever WNBA game
Hailey Van Lith’s performance did not just impress her head coach, but also her superstar teammate Angel Reese, who had a short message for Van Lith to commend her career-opening showing.
"Confidence. I'm really proud of her,” Reese said about Van Lith.
Reese has become the face of the Sky after becoming an All-Star last season in her WNBA rookie year. In her sophomore year, Reese is expected to make a big jump to steer the Sky to the playoffs.
Van Lith is expected to add valuable contributions to the Sky’s cause this season as a solid bench piece for the team.
Last season, the Sky won only 13 games against 27 losses and missed out on the playoffs.
