“WNBA Negativity is Truly Inspiring” – Hailey Van Lith Getting Flamed by Angel McCoughtry Stuns Fans

Hailey Van Lith was selected 11th overall by the Chicago Sky after repairing her reputation as one of the better guards in college.

“WNBA Negativity is Truly Inspiring” – Hailey Van Lith Getting Flamed by Angel McCoughtry Stuns Fans

Angel McCoughtry believes Hailey Van Lith's popularity got her into the WNBA (Image via FirstSportz)

Before Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese came into the WNBA, popularity was not something that drove conversations. The players’ abilities were all that mattered. Now, the next set of rookies, including Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, have come in with their millions of followers in tow.

Clark and Reese are a cut above the rest of the field as they routinely pull in more than 2 million viewers whenever they play. Their popularity off the court is also one of the reasons the WNBA has been in the spotlight.

Bueckers and Van Lith are more or less the same, with the latter using her modeling stories to send temperatures soaring. These two rookies boast of millions of followers and are in tune with the needs of fans on social media.

At the same time, the two 23-year-olds are also great prospects. The former won the national championship, and the latter came close to reaching the Finals. However, 5-time All-Star Angel McCoughtry does not believe Hailey Van Lith is worthy of being in the WNBA.

Hailey Van Lith. She’s a decent player. Are there players out there who may be better than Hailey Van Lith? I believe so. They’re not popular… If Hailey Van Lith had 10,000 followers, would she be in the league? Just her true talent, take away the followers.

Angel McCoughtry said on the Let her Hoot podcast

The former Atlanta Dream star based on her logic on when Angel Reese won the BET Sportswoman award. McCoughtry believes her fellow Maryland star won based on her popularity, even though other accomplished women were in the mix.

Angel McCoughtry’s opinion on Hailey Van Lith draws the ire of fans

Basketball fans listening to Angel McCoughtry were shocked by her claim that Hailey Van Lith was not good enough for the WNBA based on pure basketball talent. They believe these sorts of statements continue to prove the fact that the league has a lot of envious players, both past and present.

Their envy leads them to say such things, especially when they cannot defend their lack of popularity. Fans believe such comments prove that resentment is real in the WNBA. Check out examples of such reactions below.

In Angel McCoughtry’s defense, she was speaking from a pure talent point of view. She has seen the deficiencies in Hailey Van Lith’s game, as she has struggled to defend elite guards and has been turnover-friendly since coming into the WNBA.

But fans believe these opinions are premature, as she has played in just 9 games and has time to prove she is good enough to be a star. She did the same at TCU when everyone questioned her abilities after her struggles at LSU.

Angel McCoughtry and podcast co-host’s logic on Hailey Van Lith was misplaced

Angel McCoughtry and the hosts of Let Her Hoot podcast discussed Hailey Van Lith’s popularity as a factor that led her to be drafted by the Chicago Sky. They believe her millions of followers, along with her having an NBA star boyfriend in Jalen Suggs, boosted her chances of making the team.

Hailey Van Lith with Chicago Sky and former LSU teammate Angel Reese
Hailey Van Lith with Chicago Sky and former LSU teammate Angel Reese (Image via Chicago Sky/X)

They also pointed out that undrafted guard Deja Kelly, who was waived by the Las Vegas Aces after the preseason, gave enough proof that she was a better player than HVL. She played lights out for the Aces, but due to their roster requirements, she was cut.

The trio forget that Daja Kelly also has a lot of followers and landed stellar NIL deals while in college. Moreover, she had an average season with Oregon. She was part of an Oregon program that routinely makes it to the NCAA March Madness.

In comparison, Hailey Van Lith had a stellar final season in college. She led the TCU Horned Frogs to their first-ever Elite Eight spot with a 3rd year head coach. She also helped Team USA land a bronze medal in the 3×3 category at the Paris Olympics.

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