Hailey Van Lith has been given a shot in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky thanks to her massive social media following – but not everyone is convinced she belongs in the league.
14:17 ET, 22 Jun 2025Updated 14:18 ET, 22 Jun 2025
Hailey Van Lith has the support of teammate Angel Reese(Image: Getty Images)
After being unexpectedly picked by the Chicago Sky as the 11th overall selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft, rookie Hailey Van Lith has had an inconsistent performance in her limited playing time. The former third-team All-American from her time at TCU is currently averaging 5.2 points in 14.8 minutes per game.
Van Lith’s teammate, Angel Reese, with whom she spent a year at LSU, praised her performance after the Sky rookie achieved a career-high 16 points in a game against the Connecticut Sun last Sunday. Reese expressed her admiration by posting “Proud of you rook,” to her story, accompanied by a graphic of Van Lith. It comes after the pair were on the same page about men after a recent win.
However, not everyone shares the same sentiment. Angel McCoughtry, a five-time All-Star and former first-overall pick, has raised questions about whether Van Lith’s celebrity status contributed to her receiving WNBA minutes.
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“Hailey Van Lith, she’s a decent player. Is there players out there [not in the WNBA] who may be better than Hailey Van Lith? I believe so. [But] they’re not popular,” McCouthtry said on the ‘Let Her Shoot” podcast.
“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?”
Van Lith’s popularity surged when she transferred to LSU in 2023, following her successful stint at Louisville where she led the team to consecutive Elite Eights in the NCAA Tournament. Her fame led to various high-profile brand deals and appearances, including a photoshoot for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
The 2009 top draft pick by the Atlanta Dream shone in the league, racking up five All-Star appearances and two First-team All-WNBA honors throughout her noteworthy tenure.
Angel McCoughtry is unconvinced by Hailey Van Lith(Image: Getty Images)
Van Lith, facing a slumping Sky team, has stepped up to embrace an expanded role after earlier season hurdles limited her court time. She’s breached the 20-minute mark in three consecutive games, something she hadn’t managed once in the squad’s initial four matchups.
“Hailey works her ass off,” Reese divulged about Van Lith after a May preseason contest. “You want a dog? Go get a dog.”
Despite not gelling with Reese at LSU, Van Lith transferred to TCU in 2024 where she found new life, earning the Big-12 Player of the Year award in 2025 and propelling the Horned Frogs to their debut Elite Eight appearance.
The Chicago team’s woes deepened with a 107-86 defeat by Phoenix Mercury on home turf Saturday afternoon, sliding to a 3-9 record. Van Lith contributed modestly from the bench, putting up four points in 21 minutes on the hardwood.