Rookie seasons in the WNBA are all about adjustment. For Hailey Van Lith, change is the one constant of her basketball journey. Drafted No. 11 overall by the Chicago Sky this year, the guard arrived in the pros after a decorated college career that took her through three different programs, with each stop shaping the adaptability and resilience she leans on now.
Each program brought its own style, system and expectations, a constant reminder that success in basketball often means learning how to adjust.
“It obviously helped me be more adaptable,” Van Lith said of her collegiate career. “When you’re used to change, a change as big as becoming a pro is a little bit easier. It definitely has made me more flexible to fit into different types of environments.”
The transitions sharpened her ability to read situations quickly, embrace new environments and find ways to contribute no matter the circumstances.
That flexibility carried into her rookie year with the Sky. Facing injuries of her own and to her teammates, along with a rigorous WNBA season that immediately followed a long college career, Van Lith stepped up to the plate. It’s not unfamiliar territory, it’s the rhythm she’s been living her entire career.
The direct carryover to the WNBA is different. For Van Lith, the travel, physicality, and even the way the game is approached, are all a different world, one that forces rookies to start from scratch.
“It’s hard because college and the pros are so different and I’m definitely a new person now,” Van Lith said.
That sense of a fresh slate defined her approach in Chicago. Rather than leaning too heavily on what she’s already done, Van Lith is intent on building a new identity in the league, one shaped by the daily work of bettering herself at the professional level. All season long, Van Lith stayed on the practice floor as long as possible to hone her craft.
Even with the daunting learning curve of the WNBA, Van Lith didn’t shy away from the challenge. She approached her rookie season with the dual mindset of being ready to compete while also understanding she has plenty left to absorb.
“It’s easy as a rookie to be open to learning,” Van Lith said. “Every day, you just kind of have to let your ego go and just be super open to every experience.”
That perspective kept her grounded through the highs and lows. She marked progress in small victories: a sharper practice, a breakthrough on a skill she’s been working on, and moving on quickly from setbacks.
“I still celebrate my wins, whether that’s mental or physical, I celebrate that win,” Van Lith said. “If I have a bad day, you kind of just have to move on really fast.”
Her process is built on humility, resilience and the belief that growth doesn’t come from perfection, but from showing up and learning every single day.
Van Lith has been part of championship-level programs before, and she knows that winning is about more than talent alone. For her, the biggest marker of a successful team is the presence of steady leadership, and the willingness of others to follow it.
“A big indicator of a winning team is like the leadership that is there,” Van Lith said. “And if there’s people that are willing to follow the leadership as well.”
What gives her confidence in the Sky’s long-term vision is the daily work the team put in to build that identity together.
“How close are we to completely being one hundred percent together? I can’t say that for sure,” Van Lith said. “But I do know that every day we [were] in community. And that’s really all that you can ask for.”
