Hailey Van Lith has had a rough start to the 2026 WNBA season, through no fault of her own.
The Chicago Sky waived Van Lith on May 4, four days before the regular season tipped off, and the Connecticut Sun were awarded the 24-year-old guard’s waiver claim two days later.
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“It was my first experience like that as a pro,” Van Lith said after joining the Sun, per WTNH News 8. “Obviously, that doesn’t happen in college, so I learned on the fly. It can be emotional. I tried to make it not emotional, and I really just focused on the positives — the fact that a team picked me up. Connecticut wanted me. That should boost my confidence.”
While the Sun’s 1-8 record is the league’s worst mark, Van Lith has looked plenty confident in her game. She averaged 8.1 points and 2.2 assists in nine games, including three starts, for the Sun. Even so, the Sun announced Thursday that Van Lith had been waived in a corresponding move with activating guard Leila Lacan.
“Sources told ESPN that Van Lith is grateful to the Sun for their transparency and the opportunity and remains motivated to carry forward the momentum from her time with the team,” Alexa Philippou reported.
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Van Lith was a prominent figure in women’s college basketball, but she is not the first and won’t be the last college star who struggled to find her footing in the WNBA. The league is exceedingly difficult because of the limited roster spots. Even if the WNBA has expanded from 12 to 15 teams over the past two seasons, there is a gaping disparity between talented players and available roster spots.
Van Lith played for three seasons at Louisville before transferring to LSU, where she played alongside WNBA players Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow, and Flau’Jae Johnson for the 2023-24 season. She ended her collegiate career at TCU before the Sky drafted her 11th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
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