Hailey Van Lith recently led TCU women's basketball to a pivotal NCAA Tournament victory against Notre Dame. Van Lith's strong overall season has surely moved her up WNBA draft boards. The win against Notre Dame may have even led to more attention from WNBA teams. Where did Van Lith land in ESPN's recent WNBA mock draft?
The mock draft, which was published by Michael Voepel of ESPN, has Van Lith getting selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the No. 9 overall pick.
Will Sparks select Hailey Van Lith?
The Sparks could use another guard for the future. Van Lith would also receive the opportunity to learn from veterans such as Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum. Additionally, the Sparks' long-term future could include the trio of Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Hailey Van Lith.
If the Sparks pass on Van Lith, the Chicago Sky may take the opportunity to reunite Angel Reese with her former LSU teammate with the No. 10 overall pick. If Van Lith falls even further in the draft, which seems unlikely given her play in recent action, the Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings hold the No. 11 and No. 12 overall picks.
Of course, there is a chance that Van Lith is selected even higher in the draft. Would the Golden State Valkyries consider Van Lith at No. 5 overall? No. 5 overall may be higher than most experts would place Van Lith in the draft, but Golden State is an expansion team and they could view her as a long-term building block.
Meanwhile, the rebuilding Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun hold the next three picks, with Washington at No. 6 and Connecticut at No. 7 and No. 8 overall.
There are plenty of possible suitors for Van Lith in the 2025 draft. She is probably going to be a first round selection. However, which teams are the best fits?
Van Lith's best possible 2025 WNBA Draft destinations
Franchises building for the future project to be the best destination for the TCU guard. Although she has enjoyed a tremendous 2024-25 campaign, Van Lith may require a couple of years in the WNBA to truly break out and make a significant impact. Teams such as the Sparks, Sun and Mystics are arguably the best fits for her. The Sky would make sense as well.
The ESPN mock draft's prediction could certainly come to fruition. In the end, only time will tell where Van Lith ends up getting selected. If she leads TCU to the national championship, her potential draft placement could advance even further.