When the Chicago Sky tip-off preseason this week against the Brazilian national team, rookie guard Hailey Van Lith will be back in a familiar setting. The Sky’s first preseason game is going to be held at LSU’s home arena, the place where Hailey Van Lith spent the 2023-24 season of her college career. Speaking ahead of Friday’s game, Van Lith admitted that her time at LSU helped her develop a pro mentality that has come in handy now, as per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.

“It was the year that helped me get ready for the league the most from a mental perspective,” Van Lith said. “(That season at) LSU was like – this is the mentality that you have to have to be a pro. You have to just figure out how to make things work when it’s not what you expected it to be.”

“For me LSU was just a year that I had to make ends meet and figure it out no matter what,” Van Lith continued. “And that’s what the pros is. You want to play on a team, you want to have a job, so you do whatever you need to do to make that happen.”

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Van Lith’s time at LSU was well-documented as not quite being the best fit for her. After one season, she transferred to TCU where she regained her form and improved her WNBA draft stock. Van Lith was the No. 11 overall pick by the Sky in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

During her final season of college basketball, Van Lith helped lead TCU to the Elite Eight, averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 45.2 percent shooting from the field, 33.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 82.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Coming in as a rookie with the Sky this season, Van Lith is reunited with former LSU teammate Angel Reese who will be in her second season in the WNBA.