Rookie Sky Should Bail On
Hailey Van Lith needs a fresh start. And so do the Chicago Sky.
Her rookie season was never supposed to play out this way. Van Lith looked like she would step right in as a day one starter and contribute on a playoff-bound team. Nothing, however, has gone according to plan.
Even with Courtney Vandersloot sitting on the shelf after just seven games thanks to a knee injury, Van Lith has spent most of her first year glued to the bench.
At times, head coach Tyler Marsh would throw her a bone. A few spot minutes in blowouts here and there haven’t allowed her to shine, though. It’s clear as day that Marsh just isn’t into the rookie. That became obvious a few weeks ago.
With Vandersloot out of the lineup and Ariel Atkins spending a long stint on the sidelines due to a knee issue, Van Lith hardly played. The rookie, unsurprisingly, has taken it all in stride. She was spotted getting a few shots up recently after another DNP, but that hasn’t impressed the coaching staff.
As of late, things have only gotten worse. With Chicago now at full health, Van Lith went from playing a handful of minutes every now and then, to not playing at all. In two of the Sky’s last three games, she hasn’t sniffed the court.
So what now?
A clean slate might be best.
Well, from a productivity standpoint, it’s going to be hard to sell teams on her, but that doesn’t mean she has no trade value at all.
During her college days, the two-way guard was one of the best floor generals in the country, as she averaged nearly 18 points a night and a shade over five assists for TCU.
Another selling point could be the early-season potential she showed on one particular night. She dropped a career-high 16 points against the Connecticut Sun on better than 50% shooting.
Giving up on Van Lith probably isn’t ideal, but it’s unlikely she’ll get a fair shot in the future. Vandersloot figures to be back in the mix, Atkins and the Sky have mutual interest in getting an offseason deal done, and Chicago will have a top-four pick in next year’s draft with a decent shot at the number one overall selection.
Would it surprise us to see Van Lith shine elsewhere? Not at all. She’s still immensely talented and has a ton of time left to prove herself. With that said, we would be shocked to see her reach those lofty heights in a Chicago uniform. So, for the sake of both parties, a fresh start is needed.
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.