Angel Reese Opens Up About Playing With Former LSU Teammate Hailey Van Lith In The WNBA

Yahoo

16-04-2025

Angel Reese Opens Up About Playing With Former LSU Teammate Hailey Van Lith In The WNBA
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Angel Reese couldn't be happier to join forces with her former LSU teammate Hailey Van Lith in the WNBA.
During the 2025 Draft, which occurred on April 14, Van Lith was selected 11th overall by Reese's current team, the Chicago Sky.
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In a social media post, Angel Reese reacted to the news that Hailey Van Lith was headed to the Windy City. She also expressed her desire for them to fix what went wrong during their last time on the court together.
Angel Reese Shares Bold Statement After Chicago Sky Drafts Van Lith 11th Overall
After the Chicago Sky announced that Van Lith would be the 11th pick in the 2025 draft, Reese reacted to the news on X, formerly Twitter.
"We ain't do it right the first time. Let's run it backkkkk," Reese wrote.
For those who may be confused by Reese's words, the Bayou Barbie is referring to LSU's NCAA Tournament loss in 2024, when Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated them in the Elite Eight.
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Later, Van Lith transferred to Texas Christian University (TCU), leading them to a Big 12 Championship and a deep run in the 2025 March Madness competition.
Following the news of the Sky's draft pick, Las Vegas Aces player Chelsea Gray told her peers not to "sleep on an 11th pick," referring to herself during the 2014 draft.
"Oh, we won't, Cap," Reese responded. "Thank yaaaa."
Angel Reese Haters Are Attempting To Stir Up Trouble Online
Van Lith's interview with Holly Rowe after being selected by the Sky has gone viral on X, but not for the right reasons.
"Hailey Van Lith smiling through the pain of returning to toxic h-ll," someone wrote.
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A user replied, suggesting Van Lith was "gritting her teeth" because she had to "go back to playing with Angel Reese."
Another user said something similar, writing, "She's not happy to be back with Angel Reese."
However, other users defended the 22-year-old and pointed to her thriving relationship with Van Lith.
"Y'all do know both Angel and Hailey like each other and speak highly of the other, right?" a user asked.
Van Lith Says Angel Reese Is A 'Dog' On The Court
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Later, during draft night, Van Lith opened up to reporters about her relationship with Reese, admitting the latter has maintained communication with her throughout her year in the league.
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She went on to say that she's "excited to be around [Angel] again" because of her "intensity" on the court.
"I really appreciate her," Van Lith continued. "We have a very mature relationship. A mutual relationship where we both have respect for each other's game and also the character and the person we are off the court."
She added, "She turns up the intensity of everybody around her. I'm excited to be in that environment with her again where she can pull more out of me than I think I have."
Van Lith Is 'Counting Down The Days' Before She Joins SkyTown
Van Lith, 23, is also looking forward to arriving in Chicago so she can start the season ahead.
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In a fun Instagram video shared by the Sky, the athlete told the team's 570,000-plus followers that she couldn't wait to get to work.
"What is up SkyTown? This is Hailey Van Lith checking in with y'all. I cannot wait to touch down and meet y'all, see y'all, [and] be in the gym with y'all. [I'm] counting down the days. Let's get it," she said.
Reese Talks Trash For The Love Of The Game
Instagram | Angel Reese
In a previous interview, Reese opened up about some of the criticism she's received surrounding her personality on the court. However, the LSU alum maintains that it's "not personal."
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"I don't think people realize it's not personal," she said before mentioning her relationship with the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark. "Me and [Clark] don't hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It's just a super competitive game, and I would just wish people realized that."
She went on to say that when she's on the court, her friendships with the other players go out of the window.
"I have plenty of friends on the court that I talk to outside of the game. But when I get between those lines, we're not friends. We're not buddies," she said. "I'm going to talk trash to you. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it. I don't think people really realize that, and that's fine; I'll take the villain role."