Rookie’s offseason opportunity already promises to be a blessing for the Sky

Overall, Unrivaled’s first season was a huge success. Nevertheless, some things needed to be ironed out ahead of the league’s second season, such as the relief players. In its first season, Unrivaled signed relief players whenever a team needed someone to step in. Sometimes, those players came to Miami the day before and were then immediately asked to contribute. 

This season, Unrivaled will feature a development pool made up of young players. They will be on site and practice with the other players, so they are ready to step in whenever a team needs them to replace an injured or sick player. The development pool features Hailey Van Lith, Aziaha James, Haley Jones, Emily Engstler, Laeticia Amihere, and Makayla Timpson. 

Joining Unrivaled, even if it’s only as a development player, could be huge for Hailey Van Lith’s development and, in turn, the Sky’s future. Chicago drafted Van Lith in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft but didn’t get much production out of her. That is something they undoubtedly want to change for next season. 

Hailey Van Lith didn’t play much in her rookie season

The Chicago Sky had two first-round picks in this year’s draft. They selected Ajsa Sivka, a promising young forward from Slovenia, and Van Lith. Sivka didn’t come to the WNBA this season, and Van Lith didn’t get a ton of playing time. 

The Sky need a young guard to develop alongside Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The vision for the 2025 season was probably to get Van Lith some rotational minutes behind Courtney Vandersloot, allowing her to learn from one of the best veteran point guards in the league. However, Vandersloot only played seven games before tearing her ACL, and Van Lith never really had a secure spot in Tyler Marsh’s rotation. 

Even when Vandersloot was out, Van Lith didn’t see a lot of playing time. Instead, Rachel Banham had to run the point and the Sky signed Sevgi Uzun. Van Lith only averaged 12.4 minutes per game and regularly saw even less time on the court than that. Her production also didn’t jump off the page. Van Lith averaged 3.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. 

Unrivaled should help Van Lith prepare for a better second season 

The Sky’s future is incredibly uncertain. Their win-now approach failed spectacularly, and now there is no guarantee that any of the veterans they signed last offseason or Ariel Atkins will be back for the 2026 season. On top of that, they may struggle to attract other impactful free agents, and, if that happens, they may also have to deal with a trade request from Angel Reese. She has made it clear that she wants to play for a competitive team and expects the front office to put together a better roster than it did last offseason. 

Van Lith is one of four players currently under contract with the Sky. Having her work on her game surrounded by some of the best players in the W and proven championship veterans over the winter can only be good for Chicago.