The Connecticut Sun have had a terrible start to the 2026 WNBA season with a dismal 1-8 record. After getting their first win against Portland Fire on Wednesday, they have now waived guard Hailey Van Lith.
In her place, the Sun are activating returning guard Leïla Lacan, who is expected to make her regular season debut on Saturday, per ESPN reporter Alexa Philippou.
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Lacan returns to Connecticut after playing in the 2026 La Boulangère Wonderligue in France. She won both a championship and the Finals MVP.
The franchise claimed Van Lith off waivers on May 6th after she was released by the Chicago Sky. In her nine games with the Sun, Van Lith averaged 8.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. She played 17.6 minutes per game, which is above her career average.
The Sky had drafted Van Lith with the 11th pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She reunited then with LSU alumna and teammate Angel Reese for the 2025 season, though the pair were rarely on the court together.
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But Chicago finally parted ways with Van Lith after trading away Reese to the Atlanta Dream in the off-season back in April 2026.
Philippou added that Hailey Van Lith is grateful to the Sun for their transparency and the opportunity to prove herself. According to her, the second-year guard remains motivated to maintain the momentum she gained from her time with the Sun. Ideally, she will land with a different WNBA team.
Meanwhile, the addition of Lacan should give Connecticut a big boost on their roster. She averaged 10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game as a rookie in 2025.
Next up for the Connecticut Sun is a home matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday, May 30th at 6 P. M. ET. and it will be interesting to see how they will fare this time.
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