Pies, chocolate, and mountains are just some of the things WNBA star Hailey Van Lith wants to explore while she’s in New Zealand for the next three months.
The Tokomanawa Queens pulled off a massive coup for this year’s Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league by luring Van Lith to their already stacked roster.
The Connecticut Sun guard is the team mate of New Zealander Charlisse Leger-Walker, who in August signed to play with the Tokomanawa Queens following her debut season in the American basketball league.
Leger-Walker is just the second New Zealand woman to reach the WNBA and is about to play in Aotearoa for the first time in six years.
Three weeks after signing Leger-Walker, the Wellington-based franchise announced Van Lith, who was selected as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, was also joining the team.
The 25-year-old brings international star power – she is the ninth most-followed WNBA player on Instagram, with 1.3 million followers.
Despite being WNBA team mates, Van Lith did not join the dots that Leger-Walker had already signed with the Tokomanawa Queens, when she was on the verge of inking a contract.
“I actually didn’t even know that I would be playing with Charlisse … I came to her and I’m like I’m pretty sure I’m going to like take this spot, I’m going to sign there. And she was like, ‘wait, that’s my team’ and I’m like, oh!
“When we first became team mates at Connecticut, she was like you have to vacation in New Zealand, like it seems right up your alley, it’s got all the nature. She was convincing me to come on vacation and not necessarily to come play and so I kind of got the best of both worlds there,” Van Lith said.
“To get to live here for almost three months is like an opportunity that I jumped at to begin with outside of the basketball. I think it will benefit me in all those areas and I’m just super grateful that I had the chance.”
Charlisse Leger-Walker in her Tokomanawa Queens kit.
Manihera Te Hei
The pair arrived in New Zealand a few days ago, once their WNBA commitments ended, and will be available to play in the Queens second round game in Porirua on Sunday.
Van Lith was warned about Wellington’s weather but said so far it had been “pretty pleasant”.
“The first couple of days I was staying more like downtown in the city, so I wandered around.
“Wellington’s a place that I could see myself like living and actually being a part of, it seems really cool so yeah I’m excited to get to experience it.”
Van Lith admits she knows very little about the league so has been learning on the fly.
“I’m learning every day like about the different the teams and the styles of play and the personnel that they have so I’m kind of early into my learning process but you know from the stuff I do know like it’s a high level competition and I’m excited to compete.”
There are a number of reasons the American decided to play in Aotearoa in the WBNA off-season and wanting to explore New Zealand was one of them.
“I don’t want to make it all about basketball because I think that would be a missed opportunity so I’m going to challenge myself to go be a tourist and see all the things.”
The college basketball stand-out has had a challenging start to her professional career. Van Lith dealt with a serious ankle injury during her rookie season for Chicago Sky, and has been on short-term contracts at the Connecticut Sun.
Hailey Van Lith courtside at the WNBA.
Michael Hirschuber
Van Lith is relishing the prospect of gaining a lot of court time.
“It’s a great opportunity to just get high reps, get a lot of minutes and get a rhythm back and really feel the identity of who I am on the court.
“This season has a potential to really bring my joy back for playing the game, so at the end of the year if I had a tonne of joy playing and I saw Wellington and experience New Zealand, I think that would be a successful season for me.”
Van Lith, who is now a free agent, could end up anywhere in the WNBA next year.
“The WNBA is such a unique landscape that even right before training camp I still may not know … I’m here to play in New Zealand so that’s what my focus is.”
The American is also having to get used to New Zealand basketball lingo from her team mates.
“They’re just throwing me in the fire … I’m like putting it together in my head like, oh okay this is what they’re talking about. I love it and I find myself, even when I’m talking to my parents on the phone now, I’ll like say those words and switch it up.”
Van Lith’s first impression of the New Zealand style of basketball is that the physicality is at “another level”.
“They [umpires] call less, the American style is more pretty and contained and here it gets a little bit more physical. I’ll have to take that into account … also how I take care of my body afterwards because of that physical demand.”
Van Lith said she was itching for her first game.
“Any chance I get to play a basketball game, compete on the floor … it’s an organisation that I’m excited to be a part of and they’re also very excited to have me, which is nice.”
Hailey Van Lith playing for the Connecticut Suns.
ALI GRADISCHER
Off the court, Van Lith is starting a list of activities she wants to tick-off while she’s in New Zealand, with the help of recommendations from her new team-mates.
Van Lith, who grew up in Washington State, said she loves “a good mountain and a good hike”.
“From what I’ve heard these are like real hikes here. Like you can’t just go barely break a sweat and do them so I’m going to have to plan that strategically.”
Van Lith has been put up in an apartment right on the Wellington harbour.
“I’m right on the water and it’s beautiful … another opportunity to put myself out there and explore the area that I’m living in instead of like hunkering down in the apartment even though it’s a beautiful apartment.
“I’ll spend a tonne of time with the girls and from the little bit I’ve been here, we hang out a lot. So I’m sure that I’ll spend a lot of time at other people’s houses and apartments.”
Van Lith’s new team mates also introduced her to some iconic New Zealand snacks on Thursday.
“I guess there’s more they have coming for me … my favourite from yesterday was the [powdered] raro. They had me try some other stuff like pineapple lumps and the Whittaker’s chocolate I heard, I’m a chocolate girl so I’ll get some in.
“And in the States a lot of pies are like sweet, but here it’s savoury right? So get a couple savoury pies in and try it all.”
The Tokomanawa Queens host Mainland Pouākai in Porirua on Sunday at 6pm.