Hailey Van Lith will play her first regular season game in the WNBA against Caitlin Clark. She will be baptized into the league with a rematch of the exhilarating 2024 Elite Eight matchup between LSU and Iowa in front of a sold-out crowd in Indianapolis.
Tickets prices are already starting to rise!
Van Lith, who played three years of college basketball at Louisville, one year at LSU and one year at TCU, was drafted into the WNBA with No. 11 overall pick on Monday night. The former McDonald’s All-American and reigning Big 12 Player of the Year will be reunited with her former teammate, Angel Reese.
That could be good. That could be very, very bad. There was some drama between the two while they were both in Baton Rouge, but Reese is excited to run it back because they did not “do it right” the first time.
Hailey Van Lith will guard Caitlin Clark in her first game as a pro.
Their first stint together came to an end on April 1, 2024 when Iowa beat LSU in the Elite Eight. Clark dropped 41 points on 45% shooting with nine triples. She was so dominant in the game that both Van Lith and Reese were completely baffled. They could not stop her defensively, which led to the infamous shrug. Hailey Van Lith acknowledged after the game that there was nothing more she could do.
Clark went on to be named as the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. Reese broke records in her first year with the Chicago Sky. Van Lith made history by leading TCU to the Elite Eight.
Now 12+ months later, Hailey Van Lith is reunited with Angel Reese in the Windy City. They will get their first chance at revenge against Caitlin Clark, together, in the season-opener.
Chicago will travel to Indianapolis on Saturday, May 17. The game will be televised on ABC. Tickets are already selling for more than $200 in the lower bowl. The get-in price hovers around $80 for the 200-level section.
A rivalry game between Reese and Clark was already a big deal. To add Van Lith to the mix makes it an even better storyline— dating back to Elite Eight blowout in 2024. It is going to be one of the most-watched games in league history.