Hailey Van Lith Lands New WNBA Job 4 Hours After Addressing Chicago Sky Exit
Aug 3, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) warms up before a WNBA game against the Phoenix Mercury at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images ©Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images She didn’t stay without options for long. Before the 2026 regular season began, the Chicago Sky went on a roster overhaul.
It started with trading Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream and then moved to waiving Hailey Van Lith. These moves effectively ended the franchise’s run with both of its first-round picks from the past two seasons. But Van Lith didn’t have much time to dwell on it because she already found her new home, just four hours after publicly addressing her departure from the Sky.
In a move that has everyone excited, the Connecticut Sun has officially claimed Van Lith off waivers, ending a brief but heavily discussed free-agency window. While roster cuts are common this time of year as a 12-player limit has to be adhered to and a balanced roster is always prioritised, Van Lith’s release left many baffled because of both her profile and the timing of this move. The Sky drafted her with the No.
11 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and reunited her with former LSU teammate Reese. Naturally, that created plenty of expectations around her sophomore season. Yet, Chicago chose a different direction.
According to ESPN , the organization’s decision was tied to a “style-of-play preference” from the coaching staff. So, they signed veteran guard Natasha Cloud to a one-year contract, because she “fits in with the other proven winners on (the Sky’s) roster. ” So the Sun now gets a player who averaged 3.
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