Sky Look Foolish With Hailey Van Lith Decision
The Chicago Sky needed help at the lead guard spot and could have had their answer in Hailey Van Lith, but have been keeping her on the bench.
They got their hands on Courtney Vandersloot during free agency, but she wasn't expected to be the full-time answer. For the most part, it was more of a sentimental pick-up. Vandersloot is nearly 40 years old but holds a ton of records for the Sky, the team that originally drafted her back in 2011. To further cement her status as an All-Time Sky player, she was a four-time All-Star and helped lead them to a title in 2021.
Still, bringing her back wasn’t the answer. Hailey Van Lith, however, was supposed to be.
When the Sky noticed she was still on the board during the 2025 draft, they quickly grabbed her with the 11th overall pick.
Playing time should have been afforded to her right out the gate behind Vandersloot, but once their All-Star guard went down with a torn ACL, Van Lith should have been handed the ball and let loose. Instead, head coach Tyler Marsh buried her so deep on the bench that cameras can barely get a clear shot of her.
As the season progressed, it’s only gotten worse.
It’s hard to defend 4.1 points and 1.6 assists a night, but Van Lith has only averaged 13.3 minutes a game. It’s all been confusing. The Chicago front office saw something special in Van Lith after she averaged 17.9 points and 5.4 assists in her final year at TCU.
Even now, with the playoffs clearly out of reach, Marsh still doesn’t trust her. Case in point is two nights ago. With a blowout lead over the Washington Mystics and just a few minutes remaining, Marsh subbed Van Lith into the game. But after she turned the ball over, he subbed her out 30 seconds later.
What Marsh is saying without actually saying it is: Van Lith isn’t even good enough to play in garbage time.
Who knows, maybe Van Lith will go on to become a bust. However, she should at least get an opportunity to show what she’s got. If she doesn’t, then what was the point in drafting her?
A graduate of Queens College, Hans has covered practically every sport you can think of. The NBA, NFL, Boxing, UFC, Tennis, MLB, even Rugby! His work has appeared in various places such as Bleacher Report, USA Today, Fox Sports, and FanSided. When he isn’t reporting or writing on sports, he’s watching it. He also enjoys boxing, lifting weights at the gym, and debating anything sports-related.