Angel McCoughtry, the fivetime WNBA AllStar and former scoring champion, recently raised eyebrows by challenging whether Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith truly earned her spot in the league, or if her massive social media presence played a larger role.
McCoughtry, who starred in the WNBA from 2009 to 2022, brought her full résumé to bear in this debate.
The former No. 1 pick averaged 18.6 points on 42.9% shooting across 311 career games, snagged Rookie of the Year honors, led the league in scoring twice, earned five AllStar nods, and made the AllDefensive First Team seven times.
Van Lith, meanwhile, entered the WNBA as the 11th overall pick this year and has attracted substantial buzz off the court.
Combining her TCU turnaround and crossover appeal, she arrived with around 1.3 million Instagram followers and had previously graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit digital issue, embracing both her athleticism and public image.
Weighing followers vs. fundamentals
During her June 18 appearance on the Let Her Shoot! podcast, McCoughtry didn’t hold back. She acknowledged Van Lith has potential:
“Hailey Van Lith, she’s a decent player. Is there players out there [not in the WNBA] who may be better than Hailey Van Lith? I believe so. [But] they’re not popular.”
She then brought attention to the rookie’s social media footprint:
“If Hailey Van Lith had 10,000 followers, would she be in the league? … Honestly, if we just talk about her true talent – take away the followers – just from her talent right now… would she be in the league if she had 10,000 followers?”
Although she stopped short of dismissing Van Lith‘s ability outright, McCoughtry‘s questions implied that her path to the league may have been influenced more by her social clout than by elite skill, at least initially.
Through nine games, Van Lith has averaged roughly 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in just under 15 minutes per contest. Her shooting sits near 41%, and her assist-to-turnover ratio hovers around 1:1.
While these aren’t alarming numbers for a rookie thrust into action, particularly after veteran Courtney Vandersloot suffered a torn ACL, the consistency has yet to emerge; some nights are spirited (like her 16-point game), while others are subdued.
Rookie ramp-up: not always linear
It’s worth noting that Van Lith was a standout collegiate player and international competitor. She starred at Louisville and LSU before shining at TCU, where she earned Big 12 Player of the Year and guided the Horned Frogs to their first conference championship and tournament title in 2025.
On top of that, she brought home an Olympic bronze in 3×3 basketball from Paris 2024.
Van Lith is far from lacking pedigree. Yet the WNBA presents a unique, accelerated challenge, especially when balancing on-court expectations with off-court fame.
Her Instagram fame isn’t unfounded-the NIL era has given athletes a platform where performance and personal brand intersect.
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