By: Jennifer Portee
4/27/2026
Hailey Van Lith didn’t just return to the court she reminded everyone exactly what she brings.
After spending the offseason rehabbing an ankle injury, Van Lith made the most of her preseason debut with the Chicago Sky, putting together a flawless second half in a 108-104 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. The stat line? A clean 20 points on 8-for-8 shooting. Efficient, controlled, and right on time.
And it wasn’t forced.
With both teams resting starters after halftime, Van Lith stepped into extended minutes alongside players battling for roster spots and she took full advantage. You could see her settling in as the game went on. The first thing was about getting her legs back under her, feeling the pace, absorbing the contact. But once she found that rhythm, she got to her spots and stayed there.
Especially in the mid-range.
Van Lith leaned into that part of her game, reading what the defense gave her and attacking the basket. She even mentioned watching Skylar Diggins work that mid-range earlier in the game, and it clearly clicked for her in the moment. You could see that adjustment play out right away.
More than anything, this performance was about growth.
“I’ve worked hard at things I need to get better at to play more in control and make better reads,” Van Lith said. And it looked like it. No rushing, no over-dribbling just smart decisions and smooth execution.
Now, the bigger picture for Chicago is still a work in progress.
This was the first preseason run under head coach Tyler Marsh, and at times, it looked like a team still figuring itself out. The offense stalled in stretches, leaning a little too much into isolation early on before finding better flow in the second quarter. Rachel Banham helped spark that shift, knocking down open threes once the ball started moving.
But there are still things to clean up.
The Sky were outpaced from deep, attempting just 16 threes compared to Phoenix’s 34, and defensively, they gave up over 50 points in the first half alone. Kahleah Copper led that charge for the Mercury, finding her spots and taking advantage.
Even with the loss, though, there were clear takeaways and Van Lith’s performance sits right at the top.
For a player coming off injury, confidence matters. Timing matters. Trusting your body again matters.
And for a half of basketball in Sioux Falls, Van Lith looked like someone who’s starting to check all those boxes.
It’s preseason, so nothing is final, but this? This was a step in the right direction.