The Chicago Sky will have plenty of players to look out for as one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year advances into its later rounds.
Stars from some of the larger powerhouses and up-and-coming contenders alike have shown out before what could be a competitive road to the National Championship. The Kansas State senior trio of Temira Poindexter , Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell played a key role in taking down Georgia Amoore and the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round. Guard Saniya Rivers, a former teammate of Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, nearly earned a triple-double as NC State took down the Michigan State Spartans. They will join a number of notable programs, including South Carolina and UCLA, in the Sweet 16 starting March 28.
The Sky can invest in Hailey Van Lith in the 2025 WNBA Draft
Hailey Van Lith, a fifth-year guard at TCU, could be one of many of the guards Chicago can take a look at to be a part of the franchise's long-term future.
Van Lith leads the Horned Frogs in points, assists and steals per game in a resurgent season for the 23-year-old. The 5-foot-7 guard suited up for the LSU Tigers with Sky forward Angel Reese last season but has seen her role and performance shoot up to near-career highs with a squad led by former Sacramento State head coach Mark Campbell. She led TCU past her former team in the Louisville Cardinals with a 16-point, 10-assist performance, which would punch her squad's first-ever ticket to the Sweet 16 in program history. Van Lith and the Horned Frogs would come out on top despite Louisville guard Jayda Curry nearly willing the Cardinals to a win on her own as she dropped 41 points in 39 minutes.
The Sky are in need of extra players who have an eye for finding their teammates.
Chicago ended last season near the bottom of the league in assists per game after losing a few of their key playmakers in prior seasons. Guard Courtney Vandersloot can up the Sky's passing potential after she returned to her first WNBA squad this offseason. Cardoso, who showed off her passing game in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association, can be another player to look out for if she can consistently feed her teammates from the post and beyond. Van Lith can only add to the Sky's playmaking if she is available in the later rounds of the 2025 WNBA Draft and Chicago has addressed its more pressing issues earlier on.