When Hailey Van Lith flashed her signature smile after being drafted by the Chicago Sky, one could see that the corners turned up the widest at the mention of her former teammate. Sure, Van Lith’s LSU exit came with more drama than a reality show finale, but through it all, she and Reese stayed tight. While Van Lith was busy scripting a fresh start at TCU, Reese kept popping up on social media, throwing out posts with mostly just three letters: HVL. So it was no surprise that Van Lith was visibly thrilled at the chance to step back into a familiar and supportive environment — one where, in her own words, Reese “can pull more out of me than I think I have.”
And honestly, everyone’s here for it. Especially after last season, when the guards and post players had the chemistry of those friends on Instagram who forgot to match outfits for the party. The paint production struggled, and the pick-and-rolls were clunky. Simply put, it was just rough. Bringing Reese and Van Lith back together is, at the very least, patching that mess with duct tape. As for how better it will get, who can deny the whole new playbook of possibilities that has opened?
This was very evident when the Chicago Sky’s training camp opened at the Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield, Illinois. You could see the excitement on their faces as they walked in, dressed in workout clothes with bags slung casually over their shoulders. Everyone was jumping for shots — Reese occasionally up to her playful antics, and Vandersloot fully in mentor mode. It hardly felt like the roster’s first time together, especially for HVL, who seemed completely at ease beside Angel Reese. That even rhymes, you see? And the competition between the two squads?? Competitive but encouraging. Well, Hailey’s words might give you a better idea.
Further solidifying the sparks fans saw, Hailey discussed her training camp experience with the WGN News. “All the vets have been like super encouraging to me, so it’s a perfect environment for me to be successful. So hopefully I can just, you know, make an impact and be a part of a great programme,” she said. Then, of course, bringing in Reese, she could not help but gush. The two were notably on the same team during the scrimmage, bringing out the sweet nostalgia.
More scrimmaging to close Sky practice today.
Maddy Westbeld and Kamilla Cardoso on one squad with Banham, Nurse and mostly TC players.
Reese and HVL on another team with more vets (Sloot, Atkins, Onyenwere, Williams). pic.twitter.com/rb3ZOJPDm0
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) April 28, 2025
When asked how it was to play with Reese again, Van Lith told WGN, “Me and Angel picked up right where we left off. We had like a team dinner last night and we were cracking jokes all dinner. She is great energy.”
But while the nerves are less triggered now, HVL did enter with a lot of pressure. And Reese, being the good teammate she is, was right there to get her through it all. And she knows how to do it. Because she was in similar shoes last year, with no one around to teach her how to tie the laces. “I know there’s probably a lot of pressure on her from the outside. I know how it is, just being the big name coming to town that’s expected to do big things,” Reese said after practice. “[I’m] just telling her, stay calm. Stay poised. Me and Hailey have a great relationship. I love her and just being able to be here for her in this moment because last year was tough for me because I didn’t have a lot of vets”.
So, yes, it makes much more sense now why HVL seemed to gel right in on her first day. She herself was sort of surprised, but in a lovely way. “I thought at the end of practice when we were scrimmaging, I was loving it,” Van Lith further said. “It was fun. The atmosphere was great. It was competitive. I had a good time with the girls.”
Amidst all the “awww(s)”, though, there were also ample “what???”.
Angel Reese’s new rookie teammate is not playing in the 2025 season
Ajša Sivka, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, was notably absent from the team’s training camp roster. The Slovenian forward, known for her perimeter shooting and versatility, is currently busy doing her thing for her home country’s national team. Apparently, FIBA Women’s Eurobasket is where she’ll be shooting hoops, and won’t be there with Chicago this season.
While her absence from training camp is notable, it’s hardly a shocking development. It’s pretty common for international draftees to join their WNBA teams later in the season or even in subsequent years. The Sky might be adopting a ‘slow and steady wins the race’ approach with Sivka, letting her continue developing her game overseas before making her big move to Chicago. Also, as it goes, European leagues and the WNBA’s preseason often have schedules that overlap. And the time zone and travel complications are enough to make anyone’s head spin. But her desire to play in the W cannot be questioned, and the Sky office already knew how things would play out this year before they drafted her. She also confirmed that she will be suiting up for Chicago next year.
“I’m not quite sure yet, but playing for the national team is my priority right now, so I’ll probably go to Chicago next year,” Ajsa said. “We had meetings with the clubs before the draft and I told them that I probably won’t be there this year because I don’t want them to count on me for nothing. They also accepted that without any problems.”
Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca, ever the optimist, has also expressed confidence in Sivka’s potential impact, saying, “Forwards who can stretch the floor will always hold high value in this game, and that’s exactly what Ajša Sivka provides. We’re excited to land someone who is not only skilled but has been playing at a high level professionally for years.” So, yes, there is little to worry about when it comes to her future with the team.
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