How Hailey Van Lith's Connecticut Sun Signing Could Become Win-Win
On May 4, news broke that the Chicago Sky had waived second-year guard Hailey Van Lith.
While this might have initially come as a surprise, given that Van Lith has performed well throughout the WNBA preseason (12.5 points per game in two contests, including 20 points against the Phoenix Mercury), the fact that Chicago announced their signing of veteran guard Natasha Cloud shortly after connected the dots for a team that's in win-now mode.
Van Lith's rookie 2025 season left a bit to be desired. Yet, she still showed enough last year and during this preseason to prove she deserves a place in the WNBA.
There was also a lot of interest in where Van Lith might end up. The Seattle Storm seemed to make sense because they're light on guards. The Portland Fire checked out because they're a new franchise that could use the star power to attract fans (plus Van Lith is from the Pacific Northwest, which made Seattle and Portland even more intriguing). And Van Lith appeared to fit the Phoenix Mercury's offensive scheme.
Ultimately, it was the Connecticut Sun who signed Van Lith off of waivers, which was announced on May 6.
Welcome to Connecticut, Hailey☀️
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) May 6, 2026
The Connecticut Sun have been awarded Hailey Van Lith on a waiver claim. #GetClose | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/KIR2Uwp2qL
Why Connecticut Sun Make Sense for Hailey Van Lith (and Vice Versa)
Connecticut is an intriguing fit for Van Lith for several reasons, all of which could create a win-win scenario. For one, the Sun are a rebuilding team, and there's no downside to signing a player like Van Lith and seeing whether she can carve out a role for herself. It's a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for a franchise with nothing to lose.
From a basketball perspective, Sun head coach Rachid Meziane wants to play fast-paced basketball that prioritizes ball movement and balanced scoring, rather than relying on one superstar. Van Lith can easily fit into that scheme, as she's a decisive passer and opportunistic scorer.
What's more, the Sun's backcourt is full of young, unproven guards. While Van Lith is another added to that mix, this means she'll get an opportunity to earn minutes out of the gate. Not to mention that Sun President Jennifer Rizzotti was Van Lith's coach for Team USA 3x3 basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which means that they already have a connection.
But what's perhaps most important of all is that Van Lith is a big name, which is valuable in the WNBA. Especially for a Sun franchise that is undergoing an identity crisis after having competed for league titles for years, lost key players like DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas two offseasons ago, was mediocre in 2025, and is now a year away from relocating to Houston, Van Lith's name value will at least get fans talking and perhaps fill some seats, both in Connecticut this year and in Texas next year (assuming she's still on the roster).
Van Lith's success in Connecticut remains to be seen. But the Sun appear to have won just by bringing her on board.
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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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