Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Chicago Sky parted ways with star guard Hailey Van Lith on Monday, and former WNBA superstar Sue Bird may well have had a role in the decision.
Van Lith, a former college superstar and a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist in 3×3, was the 11th pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. But she struggled to settle in at the pro level, averaging just 3.5 points and 1.6 assists per game over 29 appearances.
On Monday, the Sky announced that they had released Van Lith, citing the coaching staff’s “style-of-play preference” as the main reason for the move.
thank you, Hailey🩵
wishing you nothing but the best ahead pic.twitter.com/YIviqhlvWi
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 4, 2026
However, there may well have been another factor at play.
Chicago Sky Swap Hailey Van Lith For Natasha Cloud After Sue Bird Comments
Shortly after announcing that Van Lith had been released, the Sky also announced the signing of former WNBA champion and the league’s leader in assists in 2022, Natasha Cloud.
The 34-year-old veteran is beloved by her fellow players, and many felt that Cloud was being blackballed by the WNBA over her various outspoken political stances.
“I personally don’t want to live in a world where Natasha Cloud is being punished for being outspoken. It is not what our league has been built on,” Bird said on a recent episode of her podcast, A Touch More. “In fact, being outspoken is part of the fabric of our league; It’s what connects us to our fan base.
”Actually, Tash is a great example of that. We’ve actually changed the world. I’m not even joking. Yes, we’ve changed things for our league, but I think that has trickled into the actual society that we live in. And it’s what has gotten us to where we are today. So for me, that would be the antithesis of the WNBA’s identity for Tash to be blackballed in this way.”
Perhaps Chicago planned on signing Cloud either way. But there’s no denying that when Sue Bird speaks, the WNBA tends to listen.
And while it’s entirely possible, even likely, that Van Lith finds a new home in the league rather quickly, for now, she may well have a bone to pick with Bird for costing her a roster spot in Chicago.