Former Louisville Guard Hailey Van Lith Selected by Sky in 2025 WNBA Draft

The guard started her career with the Cardinals before later playing for LSU and TCU.

Mar 29, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith (10) signals to her teammates during the second half of a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two years after moving on from the Louisville women's basketball program, Hailey Van Lith has officially been drafted into the WNBA.

The former Cardinals guard has been selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Spending her first three years with Louisville, the 5-7 guard was one of the most impactful players in all of women's college basketball. She played an instrumental role in helping guide the Cards to the Final Four in 2022, with UofL making at least the Elite Eight in every one of Van Lith's three years on campus.

As a junior during the 2022-23 season, she averaged a career-best 19.7 points, along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. She was tabbed as both a First-Team All-ACC selection and Associated Press All-American honorable mention as a result.

But in a stunning move, Van Lith opted to enter the transfer portal following her junior campaign.

"It came down to my ability to be happy, and I had to put myself first," Van Lith said in an interview with Taylor Rooks at the time. "I had done my part, and I had sacrificed myself and given my all to that program. But at the end of the day, I just I wasn't enjoying everyday life. It was a situation there where I chose that I deserve happiness."

Van Lith later committed to LSU, who at the time were the defending national champions. But as a result of joining an already star-studded roster, the 2023-24 season was a down season for her. That year, she put up 11.6 points per game - her lowest since her true freshman campaign - on top of 3.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds. The Tigers did not repeat as champs, getting eliminated by Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight.

The Wenatchee, Wash. native entered the transfer portal again last offseason, later committing to play her final year at TCU. It was a bounce-back season for her, as she averaged 17.9 points, a career-high 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. Not only was she voted as the Big 12 Player of the Year, she also earned Third-Team AP All-American honors.

Over the course of her five-year career, Van Lith totaled 2,616 points, 698 rebounds, 579 assists and 222 steals. Her 172 career games played (all of which are starts) and 5,692 career minutes played are both Division I women's college basketball all-time records.

Louisville started year 18 under head coach Jeff Walz at just 6-5, but went on to win 14 of their next 15 games before alternating wins and losses over the final seven, finishing at 22-11 overall. The Cardinals took down Nebraska in their NCAA Tournament opener, but fell to Van Lith and TCU in the second round.

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(Photo of Hailey Van Lith: Vasha Hunt - Imagn Images)

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