Hailey Van Lith’s mental health journey delivers her where she belongs: WNBA
Hailey Van Lith, selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, is a survivor who has overcome mental health demons and been an outspoken advocate toward mental health awareness. PHOTO: WNBA press conference Zoom
By W.G. RAMIREZ
As the quote reads: "Some of us never found time to be happy because we were too busy trying to be strong."
You may not find another person from this year's crop of WNBA draft picks who embodies that phrase more than Hailey Van Lith, an outspoken advocate toward mental health awareness, who’s overcome suicidal thoughts to persevere as one of the nation’s top college basketball players.
Now, she’s a professional.
Van Lith, who holds the all-time NCAA record for games played and started (172) and minutes played (5,692), was selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday night.
"I'm so grateful for this opportunity," Van Lith said to open her press conference. "All I have asked for is an opportunity my whole career, and I couldn't be more honored and blessed that they were the team that gave me that opportunity. So first and foremost, I would just like to thank that organization for taking a chance on me."
The 5-foot-9 guard from TCU will be reunited with her former teammate Angel Reese, who played with Van Lith at LSU, while adding to the vibrant and youthful energy first-year coach Ty Marsh hopes will fuel a run to the postseason.
“She has a winning mindset,” Marsh said. “She's got a toughness about her. There's no complacency there in terms of what her improvement and potential can be. And that's part of the culture that we want to build here in Chicago. So there's a lot to like about where she is now as a player, and a whole lot to love about where she can be moving forward.
“I think she's been a focal point for TCU all year, and I think you could see the incremental improvements throughout her college career. I think the style of play (at TCU) was more of a look of what she'll see in the W in terms of the spacing and a little bit more pick-and-roll than she was used to earlier in her career. So a lot of those things stuck out."
Yet beneath the layers of the person who collected a bevy of honors and records while playing for three schools during her college career, is someone prepared to carry the torch for mental health advocacy after fighting through her own set of demons to reach the professional level.
"The Lord put me in situations that I needed to go through to grow as a basketball player and a human being, and that's not something that I was ever mad about." Van Lith said. "I accepted that. I worked through it with my sports psychologist. We understood together, like, 'Hailey, this is something that you can grow from. Like, this is an experience you should embrace. You should run towards this.'"
Gauging from her appearance Monday night - on the orange carpet, in pre-Draft interviews, on stage in her press conference - she's sprinting toward this.
This, being a professional career she wasn't sure was going to happen, but one the spark plug guard has certainly earned.
To wit: Van Lith is a one-time Associated Press All-American (2024-25), one-time Big 12 Player of the Year (2024-25), one-time First Team All-Big 12 member (2024-25), one-time Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2024-25), two-time First-Team All-ACC member (2021-22 & 2022-23), three-time NCAA Tournament All-Region team member and one-time ACC All-Freshman team member (2020-21).
Playing for Louisville, LSU and TCU, Van Lith averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 42.2% from the field, 33.8% from 3-point range and shot 84.0% from the free-throw line.
Now she joins a team that not only includes Reese but also Kamilla Cardoso, along with offseason acquisitions Ariel Atkins, Rebecca Allen, Kia Nurse and Courtney Vandersloot.
Van Lith said she is ready to add her vibe to Chi-town.
"I'm wanting to bring a toughness, a resilience, whatever my role is, whatever my opportunities are, I think I just want to contribute to the culture of tough, selfless, hard-working players that I think they're looking to join the program," said Van Lith, a seven-time FIBA medalist, including five gold medals. "It's more of an attitude, a mindset, than anything. And I think I'm more than capable of doing that."
MENTALLY HEALING
Van Lith credited her sports psychologist, Derick Grant, who was in attendance for the Draft, saying he's been instrumental to her career and there was no question she wanted him there.
She said Grant has helped her improve and enhance her mindset, as she's been able to streamline it to where she's "experiencing less lulls" both on and off the court.
"The work I've done with him on how to control my inner state of being in reducing the effect that external factors have on that inner state of being has been the most important thing, because that impacts confidence, that impacts quality of life, that impacts reads I make in the pick and roll - believe it or not, it goes that deep," Van Lith said. "And mental health, for me, is so important to my game. I'm such a mental player. I'm so passionate. I love basketball. I want to be the best that I can, so mentally, naturally where my mindset is, is pivotal to my performance on the court."
Van Lith said she was pleased to hear WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert discuss mental health and bringing an end to the social media vitriol players have been subjected to for years. Engelbert announced shortly before the draft that the league has assembled a dedicated task force to help combat online hate directed toward players and teams.
"It feels good to join a league that is not only concerned about our level of play, but also how we're functioning as humans," Van Lith, who in a recent interview discussed her suicidal thoughts and being heavily medicated for her mental health issues. "At our rookie orientation that we had here, they showed us an app that they're partnering with that will help filter hate comments off of our channels. And I think that's important, not only for us as the players to not see that, but also young women and young boys who are following us."
Van Lith said young aspiring athletes shouldn't have to see it on their favorite players' posts or timelines, especially when they're arriving for inspiration. She added she is looking forward to becoming a voice for mental health in the WNBA, so the next generation looking up to players understand it is something they shouldn't have to go through.
"I think I have a unique platform where I'm popular on social media, but I don't supply or I don't put myself out there as much as some others, and I think it provides me a new or a unique lane to be super authentic and connect with people," Van Lith said. "I'm not really sure how that'll happen yet, but I'm a woman of God and I think that God will make that path very known when it comes to time. I have faith that, however he needs me to touch people, he will provide the avenue for me to do that.
"In college, that was through media and the NCAA Tournament when all the eyes were on women's basketball. So, I'm not sure what that looks like for me in the league, but I have faith that it'll happen.
