Women's Fastbreak On SI

Hailey Van Lith's Boyfriend Gets Honest About WNBA Rookie Season With Sky

Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith's NBA standout boyfriend Jalen Suggs spoke about how she's handling her first professional season.
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 Chicago Sky veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot suffered an ACL injury last week, it seemed likely that rookie guard Hailey Van Lith (who had been Vandersloot's backup to that point) would have her role with the team expand.

And it certainly did on June 15, as Van Lith played 24 minutes during the Sky's 78-66 win over the Connecticut Sun. She also finished with a WNBA career-high 16 points (on an efficient 6 of 8 shooting from the field) to go along with 5 rebounds.

Despite this victory, it hasn't been very smooth sailing for the Sky to this point, as they currently hold a 3-7 record. But that doesn't seem to have dampened Van Lith's spirits, which was conveyed by her boyfriend Jalen Suggs (who plays for the Orlando Magic in the NBA) during a June 16 appearance on ESPN.

"It has been really cool. It has made me become very reflective on my rookie year, and on my journey throughout my own path in the league," Suggs said when asked about Van Lith's rookie campaign, per an X post from espnW.

"Watching her take it on has been motivating as well, honestly. She's, I think, one of the purest competitors that I've ever met, that I've been around, and she pushes me to embrace that side of myself as well," he added. "But seeing her maneuver being a rookie, seeing a new situation, a new team, different pace of basketball... has been really cool. And us bouncing off each other, I think, has been great for both of our growth."

It's cool to hear how Suggs and Van Lith are supporting each other in their respective professional basketball journeys.

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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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