"WNBA might be more toxic than NBA": Fans react as ex-WNBA All-Star sparks debate with Hailey Van Lith being valued for social media only

A former WNBA All-Star’s remarks questioning rookie Hailey Van Lith’s place in the league sparked backlash on social media this week, with fans slamming the comments as an example of ongoing toxicity in women’s basketball circles.

Angel McCoughtry, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 WNBA draft and a five-time All-Star, made the remarks during Wednesday’s episode of the “Let Her Shoot!” podcast, speculating whether Van Lith’s social media presence played a role in her professional opportunity.

"Hailey Van Lith, she's a decent player,” McCoughtry said. “Is there players out there (outside the WNBA) who may be better than Hailey Van Lith? I believe so… (but) they're not popular," McCoughtry said.

"If Hailey Van Lith had 10,000 followers, would she be in the league? Honestly, if we just talk about her true talent, take away the followers, just from her talent right now, would she be in the league if she had 10,000 followers?" McCoughtry asked.

Fans slammed McCoughtry’s comments.

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Van Lith, who has more than 1.4 million followers on Instagram, played college basketball at Louisville, LSU and TCU.

She averaged 17.9 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds during the 2024-25 season at TCU, leading the Horned Frogs to their first-ever Elite Eight appearance. She was selected No. 11 overall in this year’s WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky, joining former LSU teammate Angel Reese.

Hailey Van Lith says she’s not chasing starting role

Hailey Van Lith has stepped into an expanded role following a season-ending ACL tear to Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot earlier this month. Despite the opening, the rookie said she isn’t pushing to start.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Van Lith said she’s not actively working for a starting role.

“If I’m playing the way that I feel like I need to be playing, who cares if I come off the bench my rookie year?” Van Lith said.

“It’s very rare for rookies to start. And honestly, for me, if I changed my mindset from being off the bench or a starter, it would get me in some trouble regardless. I’d start heading down a path I won’t want to go.”

Van Lith recently posted career highs of 16 points and five rebounds in a win over the Connecticut Sun. Through nine games this season, she is averaging 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.0% from the field.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro