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Hailey Van Lith Selected By Sky in 2025 WNBA Draft As Fans Hype Angel Reese Reunion

Taylyn Hadley
Apr 14, 2025
2025 WNBA Draft

Hailey Van Lith is headed to the Chicago Sky as the No. 11 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, reuniting with her former LSU teammate Angel Reese.

Chicago finished last season 13-27, placing third to last in the league despite standout rookie Reese leading the WNBA in rebounds per game with 13.1.

Van Lith joined the LSU Lady Tigers one season after their 2023 national championship win, teaming up with reigning champ Reese — who was one of the first to shout her out following her WNBA Draft selection.

Fans celebrated Van Lith’s move up north to Chicago, where she’ll reunite with former Reese and fellow 2020 freshman class standout Kamilla Cardoso.

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The 5'9" guard out of TCU averaged 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists during her senior season, shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Van Lith was a top-10 recruit in the legendary 2020 freshman class that featured Reese, Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink. She now joins the WNBA alongside fellow top-10 recruit and redshirt senior Paige Bueckers, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

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Van Lith began her college career playing three years at Louisville, where she averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in her final season.

She helped lead the Cardinals to the regional finals in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Clark and Iowa. The year prior, Van Lith and Louisville reached the national semifinals before losing to eventual champions South Carolina.

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She spent one year at LSU alongside Reese in her final season before entering the 2025 WNBA Draft. LSU reached the regional finals but was once again eliminated by Clark and Iowa. Van Lith averaged 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists during her lone season with the Tigers.

"A lot of people have a lot to say about how this year went for me," Van Lith told reporters during LSU's NCAA run. "But one thing that they can't argue with is that at this point, I know how to fend for Hailey and I know how to fight for Hailey and that's going to help me get to the next level."

After a lackluster season at LSU, Van Lith transferred to TCU for her final year of college eligibility, where she revitalized her game and raised her draft stock.

Dallas Wings Tease No. 1 WNBA Draft Pick in Photo Amid Paige Bueckers Buzz

Zach Bachar
Apr 14, 2025
NCAA BASKETBALL: APR 04 Div I Women's Championship Final Four - UConn vs UCLA

The Dallas Wings appeared to hint at the team's potential choice with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft on Monday.

With UConn guard Paige Bueckers likely hearing her name called very early on draft night, the Wings looked forward to a new "page" in a social media post.

Bueckers is "expected" to be the top pick in the draft, per ESPN's Michael Voepel.

Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb previously discussed the potential addition of Bueckers.

"I am confident that if we draft Paige Bueckers, she will move the needle for the Dallas Wings and women's basketball in North Texas," Bibb said. "If you look at the ratings, if you look at the merch being sold, if you look at the attendance and venues, there are players that move those needles and Paige Bueckers is one of them."

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Bueckers shined with the Huskies throughout her college career, earning Naismith National College Player of the Year honors as a freshman for her 2020-21 campaign.

She missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a torn ACL but didn't show any signs of rust upon her return, averaging 21.9 points per game throughout the ensuing year.

Bueckers also stood out during her 2024-25 campaign, averaging 19.9 points and 4.6 assists to go along with 2.1 steals per game on 53.4/41.9/88.9 shooting splits.

She scored 24.8 points per game in six March Madness contests, helping the Huskies secure a 2025 national championship.

The first round of the WNBA draft will begin on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Karlie Samuelson Traded to Lynx as Mystics Land 1st-Round Pick in 2026 WNBA Draft

Joseph Zucker
Apr 14, 2025
Washington Mystics v Phoenix Mercury

The Minnesota Lynx acquired veteran Karlie Samuelson from the Washington Mystics on Monday.

Washington is getting back Minnesota's 2026 first-round pick, with the Lynx having added the Chicago Sky's first-rounder in a separate swap Sunday.

Samuelson struggled to gain a foothold early into her WNBA career. Between spells with the Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings, she logged 27 combined appearances through her first two years and then went unsigned after getting waived by Dallas in 2020.

It wasn't until 2023 that the 29-year-old, having sharpened her game overseas, finally got a regular role on a WNBA team. Upon reuniting with the Sparks, she averaged 7.7 points while hitting 42.6 percent of her three-pointers.

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Samuelson signed with the Mystics last offseason and remained a dependable three-point threat. She knocked down 39.8 percent of her long-range opportunities.

Washington is in the midst of a rebuild after trading away two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins and shaking up both the front office and coaching staff. Samuelson didn't have a ton of value on a team that projects to finish in the lottery.

The Lynx, on the other hand, are coming off a WNBA Finals appearance and pretty much running it back with the same squad.

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Minnesota ranked third in average three-point makes (9.5) and led the WNBA in three-point percentage (38.0). The team didn't necessarily need to strengthen in that area.

Much like in the NBA, though, teams in the W can't have enough floor-spacing with an eye toward the postseason.

Sky Trade for No. 11 Pick in 2025 WNBA Draft as Lynx Get 2026 1st-round Pick, Swap

Joseph Zucker
Apr 14, 2025
WNBA Draft Lottery

The Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx agreed to a trade on the eve of the 2025 WNBA draft.

In return for the No. 11 pick this year, Chicago sent its 2026 first-rounder to Minnesota. The Lynx previously had the option of swapping picks with the Sky and now have that asset outright.

General managers typically don't find a lot of value toward the end of the first round. That may change over time as the WNBA expands and the talent becomes more dispersed across the league.

It's unlikely a major difference-maker will fall into Chicago's lap at No. 11. In her final mock for Bleacher Report, which doesn't reflect Sunday's trade, Rachel Galligan had Alabama guard Sarah Ashlee Barker going in that spot.

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Getting one more pick in the 2025 draft does have one added advantage, though.

The rookie wage scale will look far different when WNBA players and team owners agree to a new collective bargaining agreement.

The player picked 11th this year will have a starting salary of $72,455, and their contract maxes out $92,383 in 2028 if their team option is triggered. The next CBA promises far higher earnings starting in 2026 because the deal will reflect the increase the WNBA secured for its media rights.

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If whoever they take with the No. 11 pick becomes as much as a solid bench option, then the Sky will have added salary cap flexibility because that contract will be well below market value a season from now.

Paige Bueckers, WNBA Draft Prospects Visit Empire State Building in Videos, Photos

Joseph Zucker
Apr 14, 2025
WNBA Draftees Light the Empire State Building

UConn star Paige Bueckers, French center Dominique Malonga and other WNBA draft prospects visited the Empire State Building ahead of Monday night's event in New York City.

The players ventured to the top of the skyscraper to get great views of the Big Apple:

The WNBA invited 16 players to attend the draft. Bueckers is almost universally considered the top player available, and Malonga appears just as likely to go second overall to the Seattle Storm.

The draft has always been one of the biggest occasions of the offseason, given its role in team-building and as the arrival point for some of college basketball's biggest stars.

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As a fan spectacle, the WNBA draft has rapidly become a huge deal.

The league announced last year it was opening the door for spectators, the first time since 2016. Tickets were sold out by late February, and the cost of attending the 2025 draft doubled from 2024, a sign of the sizable demand.

The proceedings will get underway Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on ESPN.

Caitlin Clark Behind-the-Scenes Video from Historic 2024 WNBA Draft Revealed by Fever

Joseph Zucker
Apr 14, 2025
2024 WNBA Draft

The Indiana Fever provided a peek behind the curtain from the night they made Caitlin Clark the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

The team shared a video capturing Clark's busy schedule on that occasion. She made the rounds with the media and Fever personnel while taking her first promotional shots as a WNBA player.

Indiana could plan well in advance for how it would document such a monumental moment in both the history of the franchise and Clark's playing career.

The Fever knew what it meant the instant they won the 2024 draft lottery. They had lacked a true cornerstone talent ever since Tamika Catchings retired after the 2016 season, and now one had finally fallen into their laps. Clark wasn't the only standout from last year's draft class but stood head and shoulders above her peers.

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After shaking off her tough start, the Iowa legend was every bit as good as advertised.

The 6'0" guard averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists as Indiana qualified for the playoffs. In addition to winning Rookie of the Year, she finished fourth in the MVP voting and was a first-team All-WNBA honoree.

Clark set a number of league and franchise records.

The 2025 draft will be much less eventful for Indiana fans. The Fever traded away their first-round pick, so they won't be on the clock until No. 19.

Watching highlights from Clark's debut campaign should suffice.

WNBA Teams Reportedly Eye Draft Trade for Dominique Malonga, Compared to Wembanyama

Joseph Zucker
Apr 13, 2025
Basketball - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 3

UConn star Paige Bueckers might be widely regarded as the top player in the 2025 WNBA draft class, but she's not the one generating trade chatter ahead of Monday's event.

ESPN's Andraya Carter reported Sunday on SportsCenter the Seattle Storm have received trade interest in the No. 2 pick as rival teams attempt to land French center Dominique Malonga. Carter played down the likelihood of a deal happening and posited "I'm not sure there's a trade package worth passing up on this type of player."

In addition to Malonga's raw talent, the presence of fellow French national team player Gabby Williams could ease her adjustment to the WNBA in Seattle.

Representing ASVEL Lyon in the French league, Malonga averaged 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in 22 games. She was also the team's leading scorer (18.5) and rebounder (11.0) in this year's EuroCup Women tournament.

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The 19-year-old represents the evolution of women's basketball because she's a 6'6" big who can stretch the floor and score off the dribble. Hall of Fame guard Tony Parker compared her to San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama years before she was on the radar for WNBA teams.

Bueckers drove a lot of the conversation when it came to the 2025 lottery. Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller was ecstatic when it became clear his team was getting the No. 1 pick, thus gaining the chance to pick the Huskies guard.

Malonga may turn out to be quite the consolation prize for Seattle.