Now that the WNBA preseason has come to a close and the last roster cuts have been made, teams are finally gearing up for the regular-season action on the horizon. For Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith, that's meant adjusting to a new environment and teammates. However, she does have one familiar face in Angel Reese, and she's been honest about the direction their relationship is taking.

“We started building our bond [at LSU],” Van Lith said. “Angel has been a huge encourager for me.”

Van Lith and Reese first played together as members of the Tigers in 2023-24, which they both acknowledge could've gone better as LSU fell to Iowa in the NCAA Regional Final. Van Lith, in particular, struggled in that contest, putting up just nine points on 2-for-10 shooting while failing to slow down Caitlin Clark, who finished with 41 points and 12 assists.

After the pair found out they would be reuniting as teammates and getting a second chance to find success together, Van Lith expressed nothing but excitement in her post-draft interviews.

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“I really appreciate her. We have a very mature relationship,” Van Lith began. “A mutual respect relationship where we both have respect for each other's game and also the character and the person we are off the court. So, mostly I'm just excited to get to be around her again.”

Van Lith concluded by praising Reese. “She's a dawg, man. She turns up the intensity of everybody around her,” she said. “So I'm excited to be in that environment with her again where she can pull more out of me than I think I have.”

The 23-year-old officially made the Sky's roster when the team made its final training camp cuts following the final game of the preseason. The No. 11 overall pick is joined in the lineup by fellow draftee No. 16 Maddy Westbeld, who also made the cut.

Van Lith will make her WNBA regular-season debut when the Sky tip off the season against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on May 17.