Hailey Van Lith has been waived by the Connecticut Sun, the team announced. The move ends a brief stint in Connecticut that began on the eve of the 2026 WNBA season.
The decision came after nine games in which Van Lith averaged 8.1 points, 2.2 assists and 1.1 rebounds while playing as a reserve guard. She shot an efficient 49.2% from the field, 47.1% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the foul line during her time with the Sun. Connecticut Sun issued a statement saying, "Hailey Van Lith has been waived by the Connecticut Sun, the team announced."
Team officials said the roster move was necessary to activate Leila Lacan, who had been on a contract suspension while finishing an overseas commitment. Lacan returned after a long playoff run in France that ended with a championship, and she was named Finals MVP there, prompting the Sun to clear a roster spot.
Van Lith had joined Connecticut after being cut late by the Chicago Sky, a lifeline that arrived just before the start of the 2026 WNBA season. She seized limited minutes as a reserve and produced shooting numbers that, on paper, suggested more to come: nearly half her shots made, almost 50% from deep and strong free-throw accuracy across those nine appearances.
The friction in this roster move is plain. Despite Van Lith’s efficient production, the Sun faced a full roster and a returning Lacan whose overseas success — including a Finals MVP performance — created both a celebratory and logistical problem for the organization. The team prioritized activating the player who had been unable to join the roster earlier because of her championship run in France.
Sources told the reporter and Kendra Andrews that Van Lith is grateful to the Sun for their transparency and the opportunity, and that she remains motivated to carry forward the momentum from her time with the Sun. Those close to the guard described her as undeterred by the waiver and focused on the next step in her career.
The broader question for Van Lith now is practical: with a compact WNBA calendar and rosters carved tightly, efficient shooting and brief flashes of play may not be enough to secure long-term work. But her numbers in Connecticut — 8.1 points and shooting splits that caught the eye — make it reasonable to expect other teams to monitor her availability as the season progresses.
For now the immediate story is simple and final: the Connecticut Sun have cleared a spot to welcome back Leila Lacan, and Hailey Van Lith, having answered a late-season call, has been released. People close to her say she leaves grateful and motivated, carrying the statistical proof of what she showed in nine games.
