{"id":356860,"date":"2025-12-18T22:29:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T22:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/356860\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T22:29:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T22:29:08","slug":"sky-point-guard-hailey-van-lith-enters-a-defining-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/356860\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky point guard Hailey Van Lith enters a defining offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rookie guard Hailey Van Lith looked exactly like the player the Sky<\/a> imagined. In an early-season game against the Sun, Van Lith danced into the lane, floating shots over giants. She scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds in one of the team\u2019s few wins of the season.<\/p>\n

If only there had been more games like that.<\/p>\n

Coming off an All-American college season \u2014 she stayed a fifth year to refine her game as a combo guard \u2014 Van Lith\u2019s impact never fully took hold. Not that Chicago was a forgiving environment for a rookie. The Sky\u2019s offense led the league in turnovers and lacked a true playmaker.<\/p>\n

Still, there\u2019s no way around it: Van Lith struggled<\/a>. She shot just 16% from 3-point range and missed extended time with an ankle injury.<\/p>\n

She finished the season frustrated, but not defeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it takes a couple years,\u201d Van Lith said of her transition. \u201cWhatever my journey is going to be is what it\u2019s going to be. I\u2019m going to fight for it to be as soon as possible, but whenever it comes, I have ultimate belief in my abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The question now is whether that journey continues in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Two new teams, Portland and Toronto, enter the league in 2026 and will build their rosters in part by plucking players from existing franchises. That makes this a precarious moment for players like Van Lith, who have not yet carved out a role.<\/p>\n

The Sky will be able to \u201cprotect\u201d just five players from being drafted by expansion teams. Four slots appear locked in: core pillars Angel Reese<\/a> and Kamilla Cardoso<\/a>, 20-year-old prospect Aj\u0161a Sivka<\/a> and two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins.<\/p>\n

That leaves one spot. It could come down to Van Lith, the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft, or Maddy Westbeld, taken No. 16. Both showed flashes as rookies. Neither season screamed \u201cpick me.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the upside case for Van Lith?<\/p>\n

For general manager Jeff Pagliocca, it starts with her work ethic and getting healthy.<\/p>\n

For many rookies, the adjustment is learning how to handle the pro workload. For Van Lith, it was learning when to stop. Van Lith is a certified gym rat. When her minutes dwindled, she\u2019d head straight to the court or the weight room after games.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as work ethic and fight and competitive nature, all those boxes remain checked from the player that we scouted hard in college,\u201d Pagliocca told the Sun-Times by phone.<\/p>\n

But Van Lith was not herself as a rookie, bogged down by nagging injuries. She underwent minor offseason ankle surgery to \u201cclean some things up,\u201d as she put it.<\/p>\n

This offseason, Van Lith is training with Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league featuring many of the game\u2019s top players. She is part of the development pool, players who serve as injury replacements. Ironically, she still is not cleared to play.<\/p>\n

The good news is her rehab is on track, and she is hopeful to get a chance to compete. If she does, the setting offers an opportunity to work on areas the Sky badly need. That starts with getting to the hoop.<\/p>\n

The Sky were incapable of breaking down defenses off the dribble last season. Van Lith\u2019s 16-point performance against the Sun showed she can do it. The question is whether she can do it consistently against better competition.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the defense. At 5-foot-9, without standout athleticism, Van Lith risks becoming someone opponents hunt. The Sky cannot afford that. As much as they struggled to get into the paint, they were even worse at keeping opponents out of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always players that will be targeted by a good opposing coaching staff,\u201d Pagliocca said. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be one of them. Sometimes that\u2019s enough to make you put real time into it in the offseason and make it a priority mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words: Pagliocca believes her competitiveness will keep her afloat.<\/p>\n

There may be no better place to test that than at Unrivaled. The defining feature of the 3-on-3 game is the absence of help defense. If you get beat off the dribble, no one is coming to save you.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the challenge Van Lith faces this offseason. Do or die. Sink or swim.<\/p>\n

Earn a place in the Sky\u2019s future, or become part of an expansion draft.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"United<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m under contract, so, yes, I plan on returning to the Sky,\u201d Reese said. <\/p>\n

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\n \u00a0\n <\/p>\n

read<\/p>\n

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\"Victoria's<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

As Reese\u2019s public image expands, harsh scrutiny continues. Her podcast shows how she navigates those pressures.<\/p>\n

[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]
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\"Chicago<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The league has implied it\u2019s not yet big enough for the kind of revenue sharing players want. But history shows revenue sharing is a question of power, not prosperity.<\/p>\n

[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]
\n \u00a0\n <\/p>\n

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