Hailey Van Lith fell to tears after hearing her name called in the 2025 WNBA Draft in New York City.
Late in the first round on Monday night, Van Lith was selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th pick, reuniting her with former LSU teammate Angel Reese.
While the TCU star’s NBA boyfriend, Jalen Suggs, was in the room, Van Lith wrapped her arms around her family on the main floor after hearing her name called.
‘I would just like to begin with thanking Chicago,’ Van Lith opened her press conference. ‘I’m so grateful for this opportunity.’
‘All I have asked for is an opportunity my whole career and I couldn’t be more honored and blessed that they were the team that gave me that opportunity. I would like to thank the organization for taking a chance on me.’
Van Lith and Suggs shared a kiss after she walked off the stage, and Reese raved about their reunion on social media.
Hailey Van Lith was selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft
Jalen Suggs was all smiles as his girlfriend Hailey Van Lith was selected on Monday
Van Lith and Suggs shared a kiss after she walked offstage after being drafted
‘We ain’t do it right the first time. Let’s run it backkkkk,’ Reese wrote, reposting graphics from the team.
Van Lith spent three years at Louisville before joining the LSU Tigers after their national title win in 2023. Unfortunately, LSU fell to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four the following year.
Speaking about Reese, Van Lith said, ‘Angel has maintained contact with me for the past year since she’s been in the league and I transferred.
‘I really appreciate her. We have a very mature relationship. We both have respect for each other’s game and the character and person we are outside the court.’
‘Mostly, I’m excited to be around her again,’ she continued. ‘We have a lot of similarities in how we carry ourselves and our mindset. She’s a dog, man. She turns up the intensity of everybody around her.
Van Lith hugged WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected by the Chicago Sky
Van Lith will be reunited with former LSU Tigers teammate Angel Reese in the Windy City
‘I’m excited to be around that environment with her again where she can pull more out of me than I think.’
In her final NCAA season, Van Lith averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists for the Horned Frogs.
From an Elite 8 finish with a 34-4 TCU team, Van Lith will join a Chicago Sky camp that went 13-27 record.
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