The Chicago Sky’s puzzling moves continue and Hailey Van Lith is the newest casualty. The 2025 bottom feeder had given up a lot for the guard. Initially, they traded for the No. 11 pick (which turned out to be the TCU star) for their pre-existing 2026 first-round pick swap with the Lynx. Then they traded second-round picks to the expansion franchises to protect their entire roster and essentially Van Lith. Yet, the franchise has waived the guard. But coach Tyler Marsh has now given  an explanation. 

She had a rather injury-prone 2025 season. She could not contribute, averaging 12.4 minutes a game while scoring 3.5 points and making 1.5 assists in her 29 games. Van Lith had an ankle surgery after the season ended and was back to full fitness, according to ESPN. The preseason was a grand success as she dropped 20 points on 8/8 shooting against the Mercury while showing her creativity with 6 assists against the Dream. But according to Tyler Marsh, Natasha Cloud was a better fit than Van Lith. 

“The worst part  of this job and the business that we’re in is you have to have a tough conversation and make tough decisions,” Marsh said in his recent media availability.  “For us, unfortunately, sometimes it comes down to a numbers game and it’s not necessarily anything that, that Hailey did or didn’t do. She’s another one that works incredibly hard…and is incredibly tough as well.”

ESPN reported the same as Chicago did not see Van Lith aligning with their “style of play preference.” Simultaneously, they also added Natasha Cloud on a one-year contract for $555,000. It’s a direct swap, as Cloud is more of a traditional guard with her creation,experience and defense. But the defense, particularly, could have been the sticking point, as it has been Cloud’s selling point, getting to the All-Defensive team three times. Despite waiving Van Lith, Marsh maintained she should find a home in the league. 

“She battled through some injuries throughout this last year and some change…but she competes…she’s coachable…She’s great in the locker room. 
So there’s a bright future for her in this league, whether it’s in Chicago or elsewhere,” Marsh said. “For us, it kind of comes down to a numbers game and then obviously with the, with the addition of Tash (Natasha Cloud), it’s kind of the nature of the business sometimes.”

They now have three point guards in the rotation: Courtney Vandersloot, Skylar Diggins and Cloud.  That is a guard-heavy rotation but covers multiple bases with  Gabriela Jacquez, Jacy Sheldon and Rachel Banham.  Their front court is covered by Kamilla Cardoso, Azura Stevens and Rickea Jackson. While age could be an issue with the likes of Diggins, Vandersloot, Cloud, Banham and Williams, who are all above thirty, this could work. 

But it’s a team built for the short term. Another factor is that cutting Hailey Van Lith was not a popular call from Sky management. Van Lith was a fan favorite, but ESPN maintains that Van Lith is in contact with multiple teams for the upcoming season.

Portland Fire Connections Emerge After Sky Waive Hailey Van Lith

Of course, Hailey Van Lith could return to Sky at the developmental spot. But it would be a step down for the second year, who should be growing into the league after returning from injury. There is a high possibility that Van Lith’s future is away from the Sky. And the team currently mentioned is Portland Fire, who could snag her up.

“When I think about Hailey Van Lith and her overall profile, I always bring a little marketing into this,” Alicia Jay said on the ‘We Need To Talk’ Podcast. “One of the expansion teams, probably Portland, could definitely use her. This is no disrespect to her game because her game is important too, but in terms of name recognition and marketing purposes, they could use another player in that respect.”

Van Lith is among the select few youngsters in the league who have above a million instagram followers with 1.3 million. She was among the most popular athletes in college and even at Sky when she was drafted. The Fire don’t have a established  marketable youngster, as they have drafted Spanish Iyanna Martin in the draft. Martin is an amazing talent but relatively unknown to the American audience compared to Van Lith. 

On the court, Van Lith could fit into the free-flowing system of Alex Saram based on the CLA. It is a development methodology based on game-like environments rather than trying to develop them 1-on-1 or with static, block training. That means fewer set plays and more freedom. Van Lith’s passing, solid defense and shooting from the midrange could add variety to their young  offense. 

Van Lith enters an uncertain time regardless. Yet, the former TCU star needs to be ready for the opportunity when it presents itself and only time will tell if she will be.