In this year's WNBA Draft, the Chicago Sky selected Hailey Van Lith with the 11th overall pick in the first round. The former McDonald's All-American and reigning Big 12 Player of the Year looked to be a sure-fire upgrade to a Chicago backcourt in need of scoring assistance and ball distribution, but this transition has been anything but seamless.
Through 19 games of her rookie season, Van Lith has averaged 3.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per contest. With a field goal percentage of 35 and shooting 19 percent from behind the arc, the rookie has created uncertainty about her ability to score against WNBA defenders. On the defensive side of the ball, she is viewed as a mismatch, lacking the athletic ability to guard and stay in front of opposing players. Halfway through the season, the Chicago Sky has limited options for creating a solution that best propels this team to a playoff berth.
The Chicago Sky need to make a decision Hailey Van Lith
After losing veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot to a season ending ACL tear, the Sky has shuffled lineups to compensate for the lack of another true point guard on the roster. Rachel Banham and Kia Nurse has shared the bulk of the responsibility. With Van Lith averaging 12.6 minutes per contest, her moments on the court normally come while giving Banham or Nurse a break. Outside of a 16-point performance against the Connecticut Sun on June 15, Van Lith has not scored 10 points in any other contest which raises question marks on how much she can contribute to this team this season.
Making the transition from college to the professional level is not am easy task for an athlete in any sport. The expectations placed on first round picks are for those athletes to come in and create an immediate impact. Watching players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese make history as rookies only made those ideologies more prevalent for fan bases in the WNBA.
Van Lith is not the first player to come into the league and experience growing pains. Playing for a first-year head coach, an inexperienced roster, and lack of veteran presence at her position is not playing in her favor. As the second half of the WNBA season begins, Van Lith's play will be under a microscope for Sky fans looking for improvement.