After being waived by the Chicago Sky, Hailey Van Lith has found herself a new team in the Connecticut Sun that has a clear vision for the future. Acquire a young core of players whose determined mentality matches their impressive skill level. On the other hand, there is the Chicago Sky. The franchise’s desire to build a more experienced roster capable of contending for a championship is obvious, but the real question is why? Is this a realistic expectation?
While the Connecticut Sun have a roster filled with players who are still honing their skills in the WNBA and will likely chalk up a rough regular-season record, this team will be a fun watch. Even if mistakes are inevitable, younger players bring a level of fearlessness that could energize Connecticut fans. The addition of Hailey Van Lith will further strengthen the Connecticut Sun’s young core alongside Aneesah Morrow, Saniya Rivers, Gianna Kneepkens, and Aaliyah Edwards.
The former Chicago guard has shown impressive growth during preseason action after being plagued by injuries throughout her rookie campaign. Van Lith has averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 assists over two preseason games, while shooting an outrageous 71.4% from the floor. However, the Sky opted to go in a more experienced direction -- but is it the correct move?
Chicago has prematurely hit the championship button
No one has publicly stated that it is championship-or-bust for the Chicago Sky, but if that is not the direction the franchise is taking, then its decision-making this offseason deserves serious scrutiny. All the pieces were in place to follow in the Sun's footsteps and build a young core around Kamilla Cardoso after trading Angel Reese; yet, other moves were made.
While finalising their roster for the 2026 season, Chicago waived Hailey Van Lith, Aicha Coulibaly, Maddy Westbeld, Latasha Lattimore, and Tonie Morgan. Additionally, the front office chose to let Ajša Sivka head to Kentucky and begin her college career. Every one of those players is under 24 years old, further underscoring the Sky’s apparent lack of interest in investing in long-term player development.
After cutting a high percentage of the team's young talent from the roster, Jeff Pagliocca identified several players with more WNBA experience. Skylar Diggins, Natasha Cloud, and Rickea Jackson all joined Chicago, instantly boosting the talent and firepower the team possessed. In some people's eyes, this would indicate a successful recruitment period -- I would suggest not.
Improving the depth and the quality of a roster is the name of the game if you want to compete for a championship, or at least make a deep postseason run. However, even by fine-tuning this squad, it is nowhere near the capabilities of the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, and the Indiana Fever. These teams each boast at least one superstar player, surrounded by a litany of talented two-way players. Chicago would need several seasons to build this kind of momentum.
So, how do we define this new era of the Chicago Sky? Ambitious? Or simply naive? This is not a squad capable of challenging amongst the WNBA's elite. The blueprint for the Sky was obvious, and it essentially mirrored what the Connecticut Sun has created. Connecticut is constructing an exciting roster for the future, which just got stronger by the addition of Hailey Van Lith. Chicago may have a vision for what it could be, but let's be honest, it only makes sense if you don't think about it.
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