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Angel Reese Reveals Hailey Van Lith Recruiting Pitch to Chicago Sky GM

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese conveyed her role in getting former LSU teammate Hailey Van Lith to her franchise.
Grant Young|
May 6, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) looks on during the first half of a WNBA pre-season game against the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
May 6, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) looks on during the first half of a WNBA pre-season game against the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

When the Chicago Sky drafted Hailey Van Lith with the No. 11 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, it means that Sky superstar Angel Reese would be reunited with one of her former college teammates, as the two played at LSU together during the 2023-24 season.

Van Lith seems like a great fit for the Sky, as the team had a clear need for versatile guards that could create offense and shoot from range. And while the rookie hasn't produced any staggering stat lines to this point, the success she has seen through the preseason made her an obvious fit to make the Sky's regular season roster.

Several members of the Sky spoke with media on May 12. And during Reese's press conference, she spoke about her role in helping bring Van Lith to her team.

"I love Hailey. I love her family, go see her dad a lot. I love her dad, too," Reese said, per an X post from the Chicago Sports Network. "So I'm just super excited for her to be in the right place. And I tell players all the time, it's about fit. Her being under [Courtney Vandersloot], that's the best thing that could be possible for her. So I'm just really excited to play with her.

"And I told [Sky GM] Jeff [Pagliocca] during the draft process, I was like 'If you want a dog, go get Hailey.' And I kept telling him that," she added. "And you can see her grit, you can see how hard she works, she's one of the first to get in the gym and one of the last to leave."

Now Reese and Van Lith will get to grow and develop in Chicago together.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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