Haily Van Lith made a shocking admission about being on the Sky.
Hailey Van Lith's WNBA Reality Check Includes Losing and Doing the Unfamiliar originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Tuesday's defeat for the Chicago Sky marked loss No. 8 in the month of July, falling 103-86 to the Washington Mystics, knocking the Sky's record to 2-8 on the month.
The team's first-round pick out of TCU, Hailey Van Lith, was unable to play due to an ankle injury. Even when healthy, Van Lith has struggled to carve out a meaningful role with the team, as she is averaging just 4.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 13.8 minutes of action per game.
Regardless of her numbers, Van Lith has not been shy about admitting there is a learning curve that she is still figuring out at the WNBA level. On a recent episode of Bleacher Report's "Film Study," hosted by two-time WNBA Champion Renee Montgomery, Van Lith admitted that there have been two aspects of the WNBA that facilitated learning moments for her.
Van Lith expressed that she is still growing accustomed to her role with the Sky, as in the 21 games she has played in, she has come off the bench in every single one.
"Like you can't get too ahead of yourself," Van Lith said. "Anytime I do, I learn my lesson real fast. So, taking it one day at a time, but also I've never come off the bench in my career. And so learning how to change my mindset to be able to do that and still be myself and still impact the team and help the team."
That wasn't the only aspect Van Lith is adapting to, as she also revealed the number of losses has been a shock to the system as well.
"I think the losing part is definitely shocking," Van Lith said. "100% shocking, but you know every vet that I have has told me, like you know your rookie year always is a big hit, but then you kind of learn that's just how the game is at this level."
Van Lith's Winning Pedigree
- 172 career starts in college
- A part of nearly 150 wins across her five college seasons at Louisville, LSU and TCU
- One Final Four appearance, Four Elite Eight Appearances
- Big 12 Player of the Year
- Bronze Medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics in 3X3 basketball
Role With Sky
The Sky are loaded at guard with four guards who have started at least 13 games this season, headlined by eight-year veteran Ariel Atkins, who is second on the team in scoring at 13.9 points.
What's Next for Van Lith
Van Lith is on the road to recovery, according to Sky coach Tyler Marsh, and she isn't quite ready for a return just yet.
"She's progressing," Marsh said. "Not quite there yet, but she's getting there. It's unfortunate, obviously, but she's continuing to work...We'll see her again throughout the season."
Related: Hailey Van Lith Explains Why Angel Reese Keeps Yelling at Her
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
