Chicago Sky Waive Van Lith, Sign Natasha Cloud

The Chicago Sky waived second-year guard Hailey Van Lith on Monday, trimming their roster ahead of the 2026 WNBA season opener on Saturday against the Portland Fire.

The move, tied to stylistic and schematic preferences under head coach Tyler Marsh, came roughly an hour before the Sky announced the signing of veteran guard Natasha Cloud to a one-year, $555,000 contract. "Adding a cloud to our sky," the team posted on social media. "Welcome to the Chi, Tash!" The Sky also bid farewell to Van Lith on X, stating, "Thank you, Hailey. Wishing you nothing but the best ahead."

Van Lith, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft out of TCU, averaged 3.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 12.4 minutes across 29 games as a rookie. She shot 33.9 percent from the field and 16.1 percent from three-point range. ESPN reporter Kendra Andrews attributed the waiver to Chicago's style of play preferences and noted that Van Lith's representatives are in active conversations with multiple teams about potential roster spots.

The 24-year-old guard had a standout college career, averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game in her final season at TCU, where she...