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The Chicago Sky added depth to their roster Monday night by selecting Ajša Sivka and Hailey Van Lith in the first round of the WNBA draft.
After taking Sivka, a 6-foot-4 forward from Slovenia, at No. 10, the Sky chose Van Lith, a 5-9 point guard from TCU, with the No. 11 pick they acquired Sunday from the Minnesota Lynx.
Sivka, 19, offers a rare skill set at her height as a confident perimeter shooter who also can create her own shots off the dribble.
Van Lith rose on draft boards after a redemptive fifth college season at TCU, leading the Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight while averaging 17.9 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
After making a strong impression in three seasons at Louisville, Van Lith struggled to adjust to a new role and system in 2023-24 at LSU, shooting 37.8% from the field and seeing her scoring average drop from 19.7 in her third year at Louisville to 11.6.
Now she will reunite with former LSU teammate Angel Reese in Chicago and have an opportunity to learn under veteran guards Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins while coming off the bench as a rotation player.
The Sky added another forward-guard pairing in the second round, choosing Notre Dame forward Maddy Westbeld at No. 16 and Texas A&M guard Aicha Coulibaly at No. 22.
The 6-3 Westbeld is another stretch forward option like Sivka. She shot 34.9% from 3-point range over her four-year career at Notre Dame. Although her senior season was diminished by a knee injury, Westbeld is a dependable option at the four who could add depth to the Sky frontcourt.
Coulibaly spent her first three seasons at Auburn before transferring to Texas A&M for her last two. While she isn’t a perimeter threat like the Sky’s other selections, her rebounding prowess — she averaged 5.7 for her career as a 6-foot guard — jumps out as a late second-round selection.
The Sky have only two available roster spots entering the preseason, so the four new players could be battling throughout training camp for a WNBA contract — although Coulibaly’s availability for camp is uncertain after she suffered a season-ending knee injury Jan. 26 against LSU.
The Dallas Wings drafted Connecticut star Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick, the Seattle Storm selected 6-6 French teenager Dominique Malonga at No. 2 and the Washington Mystics picked Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron with the third selection they acquired from the Sky in February.
LSU forward Aneesah Morrow, the Chicago native and Simeon alumna who played her first two seasons at DePaul, went No. 7 to the Connecticut Sun.
Originally Published: April 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM CDT
