June 27, 2025 • 17 mins
Known on the court as HVL, Chicago Sky's Hailey Van Lith joins Khristina to share her personal growth at TCU, transitioning in the WNBA, her memorable experiences, and the challenges of the early season. Van Lith also highlights the significance of mentorship from seasoned players like Courtney Vandersloot, and the importance of team camaraderie.
Want more women’s basketball scoop? Follow the show on Instagram @ICYMIwithKW and X @ICYMIwithKW and for more on Khristina, follow her on Instagram @khristinawilliams
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CREDITS
Executive Producers:
Nikki Ettore
Jessie Katz
Tyler Klang
Jonathan Strickland
Producer:
Buffy Gorrilla
Producer & Editor:
Tari Harrison
Host:
Khristina Williams
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome to another episode of In Case You
Missed It with Christina Williams. Here on iHeart Women's Sports
and you guys know, it's Friday, so we call this
(00:23):
Fan Out Friday, where we have some of the biggest
names around the league and in the entertainment industry join
us to talk all things women's basketball. I'm super excited
about today's guest. Her name is Haley Vanlitz. She's also
known by her initials around the league as h El.
She's an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky
(00:44):
But if you've been following her basketball career, you know
that she has been a standout basketball player at Louisville.
She also played for LSU and most recently TCU before
getting drafted into the WNBA. Last summer, she took the
world storm when she led Team USA's three x three
team to a bronze medal. Please welcome to the show,
(01:07):
Hailey vanlet Haley, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Thank you, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I appreciate you for being here. So before we get
into you know, your basketball journey and all things hoops,
we like to start the show with our guests sharing
their win of the week. So what was a win
this week for you? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I would say win for me was I love puzzles,
Like in my off time, I love to do puzzles
and I finished one this week, so that was a
great moment.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Nice. What was what was the puzzle? I'm curious now.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I actually it's a fancy wooden one. I get them
from London and it was like an owl, like a
owl and then with a bunch of different color colorful owls.
So it was it was cute.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I love that that look that you're into puzzles. I
used to be into it, so maybe I'll start to
get back more into it. Okay, so you're playing for
the Chicago Sky currently and we're still pretty much early
into this season. How has that transition been like for
you so far?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, I mean coming into the w NBA being a pro,
it's definitely a huge step up and it's fast. It
comes at you fast, like there's barely any any time
to prepare, get ready to take a break, and just
being able to take it on the information but also
enjoying myself at the same time has definitely been a
balance and every day, you know, I had to work
(02:27):
on that balance of not getting too overwhelmed and enjoying
myself and embracing this moment. But it's been it's been awesome.
I've had so much fun. And we're just at the
beginning of the season still, so you know, I can't
wait for what the rest of the summer has in store.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
And there's definite like summertime, Shy. Have you been able
to enjoy the city so far?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You know, it just started to warm up. The weather
was a little bit, you know, like bipolar for for
a little bit there, but as it started to warm up, Man,
it's so beautiful and just with the water front right here,
like when we come into prag just in the mornings
or before games, like just getting to see that and
sometimes I'll stop and just like take a moment to chill.
(03:06):
But it's so beautiful, you know, I think I'm gonna
have plenty of memories here.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So Haley, I want to get into the year that
you've been having. I feel like you've got some of
the best basketball, like a best the best year of
one of your careers because you played at TCU where
you led them to the conference championship, you had a
postseason birth, and then you get drafted into the w
NBA And hindsight, looking back at your TCU career, what
(03:32):
did that teach you about yourself?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know, TCU was a huge moment of like rebirth,
and it really showed you like what faith and perseverance
and resilience can do. And I think, you know, it
was a huge like reaffirming confidence booster for me, Like
I can do hard, I can push through hard things
in life and like see the other side. And you know,
(03:58):
faith is a huge thing for me. So just continuing
to grow that and you know, build my relationship with God.
That was a huge year for just you know, personal
goals and reaching them and so it was great and
it was a great moment. But it's gone and so
now I need to, you know, start this new journey
(04:19):
in my life. And you know, I'm grateful for that
year at TCU, but you know, life moves on fast.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
You feel like you're playing with a different purpose now.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, I think definitely my perspective has changed a lot.
So the way that I viewed basketball in the past
or like, my role in the game of basketball is
way different now. So I definitely would say, like I
move with a different purpose. I wake up every day
with with a different energy behind me, and I'm happy
with that. I'm glad that happened.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
You said that you view yourself in a different role
when it comes to basketball. Can you just expand more
on that, and what role do you see yourself in now?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Before some before I would see basketball as just the game,
but now I see it as a vehicle for me
to like impact people, and it's it's the place where
I can really be myself and be free and express
myself on the court. But through that expression, I can
really like impact people and build connection and you know,
(05:18):
connect with the greater world. And I think that that's
something that has given me, like a ton a lot peace.
Whereas before, when you see just the game, it can
be very stressful and it can be a love hate relationship.
But you know, now that I've kind of changed the
way that I see basketball, I definitely have peace a
lot more of my days.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I was super excited when the Chicago's guy took you
off the draft board one because you would be able
to learn from a player like Courtney Vanders Snooth. And
we now know that Courtney will miss the remainder of
the twenty twenty five season. But how are you one,
how are you processing her absence and how has her
leadership early on in the season helped you grow as
(05:58):
a point guard?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, I mean slew is one of the greats of
the game, you know, Hall of famer. She's our all
time leading scorer here with our organization. Like she just
she checks all the boxes and she's a great person too,
And so I'm really grateful for her willingness to spend
time with me and like invest into, you know, helping
my career. Obviously, she's going through her own journey right
(06:22):
now with with an injury, and we are putting a
ton of energy behind her because that can be that
can be a tough road, and so you know, I'm
sending her all the love right now. And but she's
still is finding time for me. She'll come to practice,
she'll watch practices, and I'll just walk over to her
and pick her brain about little things of the game
(06:43):
that can help me be a better point guard. And
so just having her around, it's definitely like a safety
net for me of like, I always have this person
that can help me get better, and so I'm really
excited to spend more time with her and you know,
be there for each other on our journeys.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You said you pick her brains about the little thing.
What specifically are some of those little things that you've
been able to learn from her in such a short time.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Little things like setting up a ball screen, how to
set it up where like where on this before to
go to get this player, and how to manipulate defenses
that you know aren't very loud or exciting, but they're
subtle and they help you win. And so just any
little thing or if we're trying to run action and
(07:27):
it's not working, what's her immediate reaction to that, what
does she go to?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Like?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
What are her decision making processes? So anything I can
I can get any time I can get with her.
It's not always about the huge schemes. It's about the
little ones that we talk about.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
And I know lots of fans were excited to see
you team up with Anchiories, But from my perspective, I
really like this young core that the Chicago skuy has
decided to put together and invest in and although this
season is not necessarily turning out the way you guys
would want it to or some of the positives that
you see coming from this young core and building this
(08:05):
team up in Chicago.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah, I mean, when we're talking about our our youthfulness,
I think that going through hard times with people can
really benefit you in the long run. So this this core,
this youthful core that we have going through a season
like this that isn't necessarily going the way that we
want right now, it's only going to make us emotionally closer.
(08:29):
We're gonna spend a ton of time and when you
when you go through hardship together, you want to, you know,
change it all the more, and the more people that
you you have in that group, the stronger the giveback
is going to be. So, I mean, the season, the
season is definitely hard for us in the moment, but
you know, we're the type of team that can change
(08:51):
change it very fast, turn around very fast. And I'm
excited to continue to get closer to and build a
better relationship with, you know, our our younger players, knowing
that we probably will have many years ahead of us
with each other.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
One of the things that I noticed when you guys
played in New York. Just how much the vets stand
Tinto's down for you all, Like Iero Atkins with her
she came out and defended Angel Rees. What's it like
to have vets right to have your back, but also
to be able to learn from them and be a
part of this journey as well.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It means everything, you know, to have vets that will
stand up for you, because when you're a younger player,
you do feel a little bit vulnerable in that sense
of like you can't always defend yourself and sometimes you
just have to take things because you are the like
the rookie, the young player, and so to have stand
up for you and we'll like do the talking for
(09:45):
you again, it adds that closeness to that relationship. The
bonds get get stronger, the team grows closer, and you know,
I'm very grateful that we have people like that on
on this squad that are willing to take that role
because it's definitely essential, especially when you're when you're trying
to win games like we are. And so you know,
(10:08):
Ariel is a great girl. We have a ton of
girls that that would have done it if they were
in that in that situation, and it just speaks to
our character, and I think at the end of the day,
character goes a long way.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
How do you respond to people criticizing you know, you
early on in your career. There were some comments made
last week by Angel Macatya. I'm not sure if you
had heard any of this stuff, but how do you
how do you respond to critics? You know, being so
young in your career, you said, and just developing and
handling the adversity of the season in itself, but also
(10:55):
like all of the noise on the outside, how do
you handle that? How do you respond to that?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, I mean at the end of the day, I
don't respond to it. It's not something that is I
don't live with it. It's not in my daily life.
You know, social media isn't real to me. It's virtual,
it's digital, it's it's not physical, and so I don't respond.
I don't address it. I have people bring things up
(11:22):
to me about, you know, whatever the critics or the
public may be saying in the moment. But at a
very young age, I went on that I started that
journey of you know, being exposed to public opinion. And
so this is by far not the first time that
this has happened, and it's just another you know, it's
just another one for me. It doesn't it doesn't mean anything.
(11:43):
And at the end of the day, if I call myself,
you know, a woman of God, I have to carry myself,
you know, according to those standards and you know, forgiveness, mercy, love, grace.
I know I sometimes speak on people incorrectly or out
of spite or you know, jealousy, and that's okay. I
(12:05):
have grace for those moments. And at the end of
the day, we're all human. So yeah, and obviously your
resume speaks for itself. But what do you feel like
you bring to this Chicago Skuide team. Yeah, I think
that I have a natural competitive edge about me, and
I also have a work ethic that can be contagious sometimes.
(12:25):
And so for me, it's more about the character traits
that I can bring, especially as a rookie. You know,
sometimes your minutes and your opportunities are going to be
limited being a younger player, and so like, how can
I show up and impact every day even if I'm
not playing forty minutes a game. And I think that's
by my attitude, my energy, you know, in my character
(12:50):
and so I think I can have an immediate impact
in those areas and I'm just going to continue to
be a competitive, you know, energetic player who's pass about
the game.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Now I have to ask you this question. What would
you say was your welcome to the w moment. Have
you had a moment like that so far early in
the season, What was a moment that made you feel like,
oh my god, I am really part of you know,
the WNBA right now.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Honestly, for me, you know, playing it wasn't like it
was just a moment where I was like, wow, like
this is my life, this is the dream that I
always had and I'm living in When we played New
York in the Barclays Center with that crowd, Like over
the last couple of years, I always watched the finals
on TV there of being like, one day, hopefully I'll
(13:36):
play in the WNBA, and like just to play in
the arena with that environment and it's such a historic
place in itself, Like to just get to play on
that core and be in that moment, it definitely it was.
It was a memorable thing for me, for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You've answered the WNBA at such an interesting time where
the interest in momentum is at an all time peak.
How does that make you feel to be a part
of this wave of changing the game in real time?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, it obviously means what we makes what we do
mean so much more, you know, not just for us,
but also for the next generation of players that it's
going to come through. How can we improve the game
for them and give them better opportunities? And you know,
there's a new CBA coming up being negotiated. Our union
(14:28):
has done an incredible job of being prepared and having
proposals that you know, we think are fair and you know,
we're we're looking forward to, you know, having those discussions
and you know, helping the w NBA move forward and grow.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
You brought up the CBA, and I saw this week
of players across the league have been sharing the statement
from the w M P p A about how those
current negotiations are going. Nakagumka has said that they're going smoothly.
But what do you think the league can absolutely not
get wrong when it comes to you know, this next CBA.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, I think when you look at what we're looking
to improve, there's a ton of things that are essential. Obviously,
the biggest, most popular one is salary. The discussion around
salary and a lot of that is we're just asking
to have a similar struck pay structure as other professional leagues,
and we don't right now. And so it's not that
(15:21):
we're asking for anything extra or something that's never been
done before. This is the template for a lot of
other pro organizations, and so we're just we're looking to,
you know, have our pay match what we bring to
the table, and that's obviously going to be one of
the main focal points of the CBA.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
When you think about your basketball journey, Hayley, when you
started at a young age versus who you are now,
how would you describe the person that you are now
and what can fans expect from the Chicago Skuy moving forward.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Yeah, the person that I am now throughout my whole career. Honestly,
I've what I'm most proud of is I'm someone that
is open to change and open to you know, adapting
to whatever the environment, the challenge, the goal is and
I'm gonna give my best to whatever form I have
(16:21):
to take for that to happen. And in regards to
translating that to the Chicago Sky, I think just committing
to the everyday process of getting better. Obviously, when you're
in the situation that we're in, it it's the everyday
little wins that we can stack to start to really
make change. And so I'm going to be a huge
part of that of committing myself every day to get
(16:43):
a little bit better at just one thing. And if
that's what gets done, you know, we can hang our
hat on that at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
And so.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Our team as a whole is just we're we're committed
to that, to those everyday little wins, and we're gonna
stack them and make some big progress at the.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
I feel like that's a message that can resonate with anyone.
Just get one percent better each and every single day. Hailey,
thank you so much for joining us this week on
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams on Iheartwomen's
Sports Network. Truly appreciate you joining.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Us, of course, thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
All right, Chaul, that's gonna do it for this week's
episode of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams.
I want to thank Haley once again for being our
guest this week. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe
to the podcast and we'll see you guys next week.
In case you missed it with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
(17:39):
and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome to another episode of In Case You
Missed It with Christina Williams. Here on iHeart Women's Sports
and you guys know, it's Friday, so we call this
(00:23):
Fan Out Friday, where we have some of the biggest
names around the league and in the entertainment industry join
us to talk all things women's basketball. I'm super excited
about today's guest. Her name is Haley Vanlitz. She's also
known by her initials around the league as h El.
She's an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky
(00:44):
But if you've been following her basketball career, you know
that she has been a standout basketball player at Louisville.
She also played for LSU and most recently TCU before
getting drafted into the WNBA. Last summer, she took the
world storm when she led Team USA's three x three
team to a bronze medal. Please welcome to the show,
(01:07):
Hailey vanlet Haley, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Thank you, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I appreciate you for being here. So before we get
into you know, your basketball journey and all things hoops,
we like to start the show with our guests sharing
their win of the week. So what was a win
this week for you? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I would say win for me was I love puzzles,
Like in my off time, I love to do puzzles
and I finished one this week, so that was a
great moment.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Nice. What was what was the puzzle? I'm curious now.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I actually it's a fancy wooden one. I get them
from London and it was like an owl, like a
owl and then with a bunch of different color colorful owls.
So it was it was cute.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I love that that look that you're into puzzles. I
used to be into it, so maybe I'll start to
get back more into it. Okay, so you're playing for
the Chicago Sky currently and we're still pretty much early
into this season. How has that transition been like for
you so far?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, I mean coming into the w NBA being a pro,
it's definitely a huge step up and it's fast. It
comes at you fast, like there's barely any any time
to prepare, get ready to take a break, and just
being able to take it on the information but also
enjoying myself at the same time has definitely been a
balance and every day, you know, I had to work
(02:27):
on that balance of not getting too overwhelmed and enjoying
myself and embracing this moment. But it's been it's been awesome.
I've had so much fun. And we're just at the
beginning of the season still, so you know, I can't
wait for what the rest of the summer has in store.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
And there's definite like summertime, Shy. Have you been able
to enjoy the city so far?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You know, it just started to warm up. The weather
was a little bit, you know, like bipolar for for
a little bit there, but as it started to warm up, Man,
it's so beautiful and just with the water front right here,
like when we come into prag just in the mornings
or before games, like just getting to see that and
sometimes I'll stop and just like take a moment to chill.
(03:06):
But it's so beautiful, you know, I think I'm gonna
have plenty of memories here.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So Haley, I want to get into the year that
you've been having. I feel like you've got some of
the best basketball, like a best the best year of
one of your careers because you played at TCU where
you led them to the conference championship, you had a
postseason birth, and then you get drafted into the w
NBA And hindsight, looking back at your TCU career, what
(03:32):
did that teach you about yourself?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know, TCU was a huge moment of like rebirth,
and it really showed you like what faith and perseverance
and resilience can do. And I think, you know, it
was a huge like reaffirming confidence booster for me, Like
I can do hard, I can push through hard things
in life and like see the other side. And you know,
(03:58):
faith is a huge thing for me. So just continuing
to grow that and you know, build my relationship with God.
That was a huge year for just you know, personal
goals and reaching them and so it was great and
it was a great moment. But it's gone and so
now I need to, you know, start this new journey
(04:19):
in my life. And you know, I'm grateful for that
year at TCU, but you know, life moves on fast.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
You feel like you're playing with a different purpose now.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, I think definitely my perspective has changed a lot.
So the way that I viewed basketball in the past
or like, my role in the game of basketball is
way different now. So I definitely would say, like I
move with a different purpose. I wake up every day
with with a different energy behind me, and I'm happy
with that. I'm glad that happened.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
You said that you view yourself in a different role
when it comes to basketball. Can you just expand more
on that, and what role do you see yourself in now?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Before some before I would see basketball as just the game,
but now I see it as a vehicle for me
to like impact people, and it's it's the place where
I can really be myself and be free and express
myself on the court. But through that expression, I can
really like impact people and build connection and you know,
(05:18):
connect with the greater world. And I think that that's
something that has given me, like a ton a lot peace.
Whereas before, when you see just the game, it can
be very stressful and it can be a love hate relationship.
But you know, now that I've kind of changed the
way that I see basketball, I definitely have peace a
lot more of my days.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I was super excited when the Chicago's guy took you
off the draft board one because you would be able
to learn from a player like Courtney Vanders Snooth. And
we now know that Courtney will miss the remainder of
the twenty twenty five season. But how are you one,
how are you processing her absence and how has her
leadership early on in the season helped you grow as
(05:58):
a point guard?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, I mean slew is one of the greats of
the game, you know, Hall of famer. She's our all
time leading scorer here with our organization. Like she just
she checks all the boxes and she's a great person too,
And so I'm really grateful for her willingness to spend
time with me and like invest into, you know, helping
my career. Obviously, she's going through her own journey right
(06:22):
now with with an injury, and we are putting a
ton of energy behind her because that can be that
can be a tough road, and so you know, I'm
sending her all the love right now. And but she's
still is finding time for me. She'll come to practice,
she'll watch practices, and I'll just walk over to her
and pick her brain about little things of the game
(06:43):
that can help me be a better point guard. And
so just having her around, it's definitely like a safety
net for me of like, I always have this person
that can help me get better, and so I'm really
excited to spend more time with her and you know,
be there for each other on our journeys.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You said you pick her brains about the little thing.
What specifically are some of those little things that you've
been able to learn from her in such a short time.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Little things like setting up a ball screen, how to
set it up where like where on this before to
go to get this player, and how to manipulate defenses
that you know aren't very loud or exciting, but they're
subtle and they help you win. And so just any
little thing or if we're trying to run action and
(07:27):
it's not working, what's her immediate reaction to that, what
does she go to?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Like?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
What are her decision making processes? So anything I can
I can get any time I can get with her.
It's not always about the huge schemes. It's about the
little ones that we talk about.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
And I know lots of fans were excited to see
you team up with Anchiories, But from my perspective, I
really like this young core that the Chicago skuy has
decided to put together and invest in and although this
season is not necessarily turning out the way you guys
would want it to or some of the positives that
you see coming from this young core and building this
(08:05):
team up in Chicago.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah, I mean, when we're talking about our our youthfulness,
I think that going through hard times with people can
really benefit you in the long run. So this this core,
this youthful core that we have going through a season
like this that isn't necessarily going the way that we
want right now, it's only going to make us emotionally closer.
(08:29):
We're gonna spend a ton of time and when you
when you go through hardship together, you want to, you know,
change it all the more, and the more people that
you you have in that group, the stronger the giveback
is going to be. So, I mean, the season, the
season is definitely hard for us in the moment, but
you know, we're the type of team that can change
(08:51):
change it very fast, turn around very fast. And I'm
excited to continue to get closer to and build a
better relationship with, you know, our our younger players, knowing
that we probably will have many years ahead of us
with each other.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
One of the things that I noticed when you guys
played in New York. Just how much the vets stand
Tinto's down for you all, Like Iero Atkins with her
she came out and defended Angel Rees. What's it like
to have vets right to have your back, but also
to be able to learn from them and be a
part of this journey as well.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It means everything, you know, to have vets that will
stand up for you, because when you're a younger player,
you do feel a little bit vulnerable in that sense
of like you can't always defend yourself and sometimes you
just have to take things because you are the like
the rookie, the young player, and so to have stand
up for you and we'll like do the talking for
(09:45):
you again, it adds that closeness to that relationship. The
bonds get get stronger, the team grows closer, and you know,
I'm very grateful that we have people like that on
on this squad that are willing to take that role
because it's definitely essential, especially when you're when you're trying
to win games like we are. And so you know,
(10:08):
Ariel is a great girl. We have a ton of
girls that that would have done it if they were
in that in that situation, and it just speaks to
our character, and I think at the end of the day,
character goes a long way.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
How do you respond to people criticizing you know, you
early on in your career. There were some comments made
last week by Angel Macatya. I'm not sure if you
had heard any of this stuff, but how do you
how do you respond to critics? You know, being so
young in your career, you said, and just developing and
handling the adversity of the season in itself, but also
(10:55):
like all of the noise on the outside, how do
you handle that? How do you respond to that?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, I mean at the end of the day, I
don't respond to it. It's not something that is I
don't live with it. It's not in my daily life.
You know, social media isn't real to me. It's virtual,
it's digital, it's it's not physical, and so I don't respond.
I don't address it. I have people bring things up
(11:22):
to me about, you know, whatever the critics or the
public may be saying in the moment. But at a
very young age, I went on that I started that
journey of you know, being exposed to public opinion. And
so this is by far not the first time that
this has happened, and it's just another you know, it's
just another one for me. It doesn't it doesn't mean anything.
(11:43):
And at the end of the day, if I call myself,
you know, a woman of God, I have to carry myself,
you know, according to those standards and you know, forgiveness, mercy, love, grace.
I know I sometimes speak on people incorrectly or out
of spite or you know, jealousy, and that's okay. I
(12:05):
have grace for those moments. And at the end of
the day, we're all human. So yeah, and obviously your
resume speaks for itself. But what do you feel like
you bring to this Chicago Skuide team. Yeah, I think
that I have a natural competitive edge about me, and
I also have a work ethic that can be contagious sometimes.
(12:25):
And so for me, it's more about the character traits
that I can bring, especially as a rookie. You know,
sometimes your minutes and your opportunities are going to be
limited being a younger player, and so like, how can
I show up and impact every day even if I'm
not playing forty minutes a game. And I think that's
by my attitude, my energy, you know, in my character
(12:50):
and so I think I can have an immediate impact
in those areas and I'm just going to continue to
be a competitive, you know, energetic player who's pass about
the game.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Now I have to ask you this question. What would
you say was your welcome to the w moment. Have
you had a moment like that so far early in
the season, What was a moment that made you feel like,
oh my god, I am really part of you know,
the WNBA right now.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Honestly, for me, you know, playing it wasn't like it
was just a moment where I was like, wow, like
this is my life, this is the dream that I
always had and I'm living in When we played New
York in the Barclays Center with that crowd, Like over
the last couple of years, I always watched the finals
on TV there of being like, one day, hopefully I'll
(13:36):
play in the WNBA, and like just to play in
the arena with that environment and it's such a historic
place in itself, Like to just get to play on
that core and be in that moment, it definitely it was.
It was a memorable thing for me, for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You've answered the WNBA at such an interesting time where
the interest in momentum is at an all time peak.
How does that make you feel to be a part
of this wave of changing the game in real time?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, it obviously means what we makes what we do
mean so much more, you know, not just for us,
but also for the next generation of players that it's
going to come through. How can we improve the game
for them and give them better opportunities? And you know,
there's a new CBA coming up being negotiated. Our union
(14:28):
has done an incredible job of being prepared and having
proposals that you know, we think are fair and you know,
we're we're looking forward to, you know, having those discussions
and you know, helping the w NBA move forward and grow.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
You brought up the CBA, and I saw this week
of players across the league have been sharing the statement
from the w M P p A about how those
current negotiations are going. Nakagumka has said that they're going smoothly.
But what do you think the league can absolutely not
get wrong when it comes to you know, this next CBA.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, I think when you look at what we're looking
to improve, there's a ton of things that are essential. Obviously,
the biggest, most popular one is salary. The discussion around
salary and a lot of that is we're just asking
to have a similar struck pay structure as other professional leagues,
and we don't right now. And so it's not that
(15:21):
we're asking for anything extra or something that's never been
done before. This is the template for a lot of
other pro organizations, and so we're just we're looking to,
you know, have our pay match what we bring to
the table, and that's obviously going to be one of
the main focal points of the CBA.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
When you think about your basketball journey, Hayley, when you
started at a young age versus who you are now,
how would you describe the person that you are now
and what can fans expect from the Chicago Skuy moving forward.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Yeah, the person that I am now throughout my whole career. Honestly,
I've what I'm most proud of is I'm someone that
is open to change and open to you know, adapting
to whatever the environment, the challenge, the goal is and
I'm gonna give my best to whatever form I have
(16:21):
to take for that to happen. And in regards to
translating that to the Chicago Sky, I think just committing
to the everyday process of getting better. Obviously, when you're
in the situation that we're in, it it's the everyday
little wins that we can stack to start to really
make change. And so I'm going to be a huge
part of that of committing myself every day to get
(16:43):
a little bit better at just one thing. And if
that's what gets done, you know, we can hang our
hat on that at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
And so.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Our team as a whole is just we're we're committed
to that, to those everyday little wins, and we're gonna
stack them and make some big progress at the.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
I feel like that's a message that can resonate with anyone.
Just get one percent better each and every single day. Hailey,
thank you so much for joining us this week on
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams on Iheartwomen's
Sports Network. Truly appreciate you joining.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Us, of course, thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
All right, Chaul, that's gonna do it for this week's
episode of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams.
I want to thank Haley once again for being our
guest this week. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe
to the podcast and we'll see you guys next week.
In case you missed it with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
(17:39):
and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Khristina Williams
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