Despite her impressive college career spanning Louisville, LSU, and TCU, Hailey Van Lith is projected outside the top five picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The 5’9″ guard led TCU to their first Elite Eight appearance and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors, yet mock drafts place her between picks 8 to 15, with second-round projections equally common.
Basketball enthusiasts on social media are debating Van Lith’s draft position, with many pointing to specific limitations in her game. While her tenacity and work ethic have never been questioned, fans and analysts alike see potential hurdles as she transitions to the professional ranks, creating a gap between her college success and pro projections.
Size, Shooting, and Specialized Skills Keep Hailey Van Lith Outside Top-5
The 2025 WNBA Draft class features several prospects with more specialized skills or physical attributes that teams covet in the top five selections. Paige Bueckers, with her elite facilitating abilities (assist-to-usage ratio of approximately 0.45 compared to Van Lith’s 0.30) and consistent outside shooting (40%+ from three), is widely projected as a top pick.
Similarly, players like Kiki Iriafen (19.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG) and Aneesah Morrow (16.4 PPG, 13.8 RPG) offer size and rebounding prowess that address specific team needs at premium positions. International prospects with higher upside, such as Dominique Malonga, also factor into the top five discussions due to positional value.
Van Lith’s career 3-point percentage of 31.2% (247/791 attempts) is functional for a combo guard but falls short of elite shooting guards.
Her 6’0″ wingspan helps mitigate some size concerns, and while her 28-inch vertical leap at the WNBA combine is average for guards, her 1.7 steals per game and 92.4 defensive rating at TCU suggest she’s not a defensive liability despite a -0.4 defensive RPM against guards.
At TCU, she posted impressive stats with 17.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 5.4 APG with a 29% assist rate, but her profile as a combo guard rather than a true point guard or specialized wing scorer positions her in the mid-first to early second round.
Mock drafts reflect this assessment as ESPN’s April 2025 mock has her at No. 11 to the Los Angeles Sparks, CBS Sports projects No. 10 to the Connecticut Sun, Bleacher Report slots her at No. 13 (second round) to the Chicago Sky, and The Athletic places her at No. 9 to the Dallas Wings.
‘Not Elite at Anything’ — Basketball Community Weighs In on Van Lith’s Pro Prospects
“Slightly undersized, was a usage scorer more so than being a great shooter, came along as a passer but still isn’t a natural point guard, sub par defender that good teams targeted” noted one Reddit user. “Doesn’t have an elite skill you know will translate. Solid second rd value.”
This sentiment echoes throughout fan discussions with another commenter bluntly stating “She’s too short and isn’t the best shooter. She can pass well but not elite actually she’s not elite at anything.”
The defensive limitations appear particularly concerning to fans who have watched her college performances. “She’s a traffic cone on defense. Anybody with eyes can see that she doesn’t lock anyone up for 4 quarters” wrote a user, referencing her struggles against elite competition.
Another fan claimed, “Dawn exposed her a few years ago in the final four when she put Brea Beal on her to stifle her game. Just imagine in the W when she has to deal with the likes of a Jackie Young or Dearica Hamby guarding her.”
“The WNBA has top tier athleticism and speed, and HVL isn’t slashy and agile enough, and isn’t a consistent shooter either. She will be overwhelmed and pressed hard, and fits better as a rotational piece instead of a starter” commented one fan capturing a concern about her athleticism.
Also Read: 5 Underrated Players in the 2025 WNBA Draft Class You Need To Know
A Notre Dame supporter elaborated “there’s some players that are great college players but dont necessarily translate as well to the pros where the level of athleticism is overall much higher. Being undersized and not possessing top tier athleticism is an uphill battle for success in the W.”
Despite the criticisms, Van Lith’s Olympic experience and proven leadership could still make her a valuable addition to the right team.
As one fan noted, “If she was a created player with all stats capable of maxing out a 10, she’d be a 5 or 6 in everything; like most professional sports, there is a skill gap at the highest level, and hers don’t translate to top five players in the draft.”
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