The 2025 WNBA Draft has concluded and it didn't come without some surprising moves, one involving TCU standout Hailey Van Lith falling to the Chicago Sky at the No.11 pick. Reuniting with her former LSU teammate Angel Reese was not the surprising part, but rather her not being selected sooner in the draft, especially after leading TCU to the Final Four tournament this past season.
Hailey Van Lith and Caitlin Clark bring long history to WNBA
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Sky guard Van Lith are certainly familiar with one another, having both successfully impacted the game significantly during their college careers dating back to 2023. The Angel Reese/Caitlin Clark rivalry narrative took over their rookie seasons and could shift to Clark and Van Lith this upcoming season. Van Lith certainly respects Clark's game and wants to emulate her successes.
"Caitlin is very skilled, she's a great player. There's not a whole lot you can do about some of the threes she hit," Van Lith said after being eliminated by Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 March Madness tournament.
Van Lith hasn't fared well while having to defend Clark throughout college. Clark dropped 41 points and 12 assists while shooting 63.8% in the 2023 Albany Regional against Van Lith and the LSU Tigers. This was just the second time these stats have been put up by any player since 2003.
Who did it the other time? Clark did, and it was also against Van Lith. These matchups always put each player's talents on display, and the expectation will be no different as they transition to the WNBA.
Clark had a viral moment when she competed against Van Lith during her time at Louisville, where she hit a solid three-point shot and gestured toward Van Lith. This led many basketball fans to believe the two had on-court issues, but she quickly put those rumors to rest in an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report.
“We laughed about it after. … I didn’t even know what happened until I saw it over Instagram later.”
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 12, 2023
Hailey Van Lith on her reaction to Cailtin Clark’s “you can’t see me” hand gesture 😂
(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/vqxVaZLK3b
Adding players to a single roster who have a collegiate history makes for very interesting in-game moments. The Chicago Sky were loaded with instigators as it pertained to Clark last season, giving her plenty of 'Welcome to the W' moments. Adding Van Lith to the mix, another skilled player who is fiery and familiar with Clark's game, will make for exciting basketball.
Van Lith gets another crack at defending Clark as the two will face off opening weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 17.