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Before the Chicago Sky took Hailey Van Lith with the No. 11 pick in the WNBA draft, Angel Reese had been advocating for the Sky to pick her former LSU teammate.
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, spent the 2023–24 Tigers season with Van Lith. Reese went on to the WNBA after the season while Van Lith transferred to TCU, but the two are excited to reunite as pros with the Sky.
“I love Hailey, I love her family,” Reese told reporters on Monday. “… I’m just super excited for her to be in the right place. I tell players all the time, it’s about fit. Her being under [Courtney Vandersloot], that’s the best thing that could be possible for her. I’m just really excited to play with her. I told [general manager] Jeff [Pagliocca] during the process, ‘If you want a dog, go get Hailey.’ I kept telling him that. You can see her grit. She’s one of the first to get in the gym and one of the last to leave.”
Angel Reese was advocating for HVL to Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca during the draft process:
“If you want a dog, go get Hailey.” pic.twitter.com/9vXCZA6uG8
— Chicago Sports Network (@CHSN__) May 12, 2025
“We started building our bond [at LSU],” Van Lith said of Reese. “… “We share a lot of values and align in a lot of things off the court. It really is more than basketball. … She’s been a huge encourager for me. She holds me accountable and reminds me of who I am.”
Thanks to Reese’s prodding of the Sky, she and Van Lith are teammates again. Reese and Van Lith officially begin their first WNBA season playing together this Saturday, when the Sky start the year with a matchup against the Indiana Fever.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
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