• The KillerFrogs

Sportskeeda: "Too slow and too short to guard anyone" - WNBA fans react to Hailey Van Lith being subjected to vitriol amid Sky's 3-9 start

TopFrog

TopFrog

Lifelong Frog

"Too slow and too short to guard anyone" - WNBA fans react to Hailey Van Lith being subjected to vitriol amid Sky's 3-9 start​

Simoun Victor Redoblado

Washington Mystics v Chicago Sky - Source: Getty


Since entering the WNBA, rookie guard Hailey Van Lith has been under intense scrutiny as she works on becoming a solid rotation player for the Chicago Sky. With her ball club stumbling to a 3-9 start this season, Van Lith finds herself on the receiving end of critical comments from WNBA fans.

In a thread that started on the WNBA Reddit page over the weekend, hoops fans offered a variety of reactions to the former TCU star. Some fans took aim at Van Lith's flaws while others gave her a bit more leeway.

"She is a good offensive player, but she's too slow and too short to guard anyone. That part won't ever change," one fan commented.
Click to expand...
"I means she’s not bad but she wasn’t really a top tier talent so you can’t expect much from her. But she does need to actually hit those wide open shots," another fan added.
Click to expand...
"They’ve been on her head since she went to lsu people picked on her for ring chasing while praising other players for transferring for money," another fan pointed out.
Click to expand...
"HVL is a young talent that needs time to develop. Unfortunately in pro sports fan bases aren't patient," another fan observed.
Click to expand...

Read the rest at https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/wnba...n-lith-subjected-vitriol-amid-sky-s-3-9-start
 
JogginFrog

JogginFrog

Active Member
Urealistic expectations for the most part. First, they complained about her playing time. Then, pressed into service due to Vandersloot's injury, they complain about her play.

But they have a point about her shooting--23% from 3 is bad. HVL was never a great deep shooter, but the speed of the close-outs in the W has taken a toll. This is where she would have benefited from more time to adjust to the level of competition and improve her release speed without sacrificing accuracy. She needs to spend her off-season doing everything possible to improve her long-range shooting. 33% would be serviceable, forcing defenders to not lay off and opening up driving lanes.

Long-term, if she can't reinvent herself into a shooter, her path to relevance might be to bulk up. She's not going to become taller or faster on D, but she could dish out some punishment against faster guards and get in their heads. Playing 18 minutes a game means that she has fouls to give, and she can deliver value if opponents know they're going to get bruises. She wants them thinking, "I can get by her, but I might wind up on my butt."

Image-wise, that would be a bit of a heel turn for the golden girl, but it also goes along with her nobody-outworks-me persona.
 
MadFrog

MadFrog

Active Member
If we could, I would take her back in a heartbeat. She was a great player for us. A real leader on the court. I wish our men's basketball team had a leader like her.
 

Latest posts

Top