Hailey Van Lith Claimed by New Team After Being Waived
The second-year guard was waived by one team hours before it signed a veteran free agent to a one-year contract. She was then claimed on waivers by another team. The move reunites her with a former coach from USA 3x3 basketball.
nypost.comIt did not take long for the second-year guard to find a new team. After being waived in favor of signing a veteran free agent to a one-year deal, she was claimed on waivers, the team announced Wednesday. With the new team she will be reunited with the team president who served as her coach on Team USA’s 3×3 basketball teams, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The guard joins several other new additions following a busy free agency period that brought in a 10-time All-Star, a former forward and 2024 champion, another player and a guard. She will also join a second-year player entering her first full season after a midseason trade in 2025.
The original team’s signing of the veteran free agent occurred just hours after the waiver. The guard was selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft. In her rookie season she averaged 3.5 points on 33 percent shooting across 12.4 minutes per game.
An ankle injury limited her to 29 games. Before the waiver she averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 71.4 percent from the field across two preseason games. m. ET.
Background on the Move The original team had traded draft picks ahead of the April expansion draft to protect unprotected players, including the former TCU star. The sequence of the waiver and subsequent claim occurred within a single day.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
3 events- 2026-05-07
Team waived second-year guard hours before signing veteran free agent.
1 sourcenypost.com - 2026-05-07
Guard was claimed on waivers by new team.
1 sourcenypost.com - 2026-05-08
New team announced the waiver claim.
1 sourcenypost.com
Potential Impact
- 01
The original team added a veteran free agent on a one-year contract hours after the waiver.
- 02
The guard will play for a team with multiple new roster additions for the 2026 season.
- 03
The guard enters her second WNBA season after appearing in only 29 games as a rookie.
- 04
The move reunites the player with her former USA 3x3 coach now serving as team president.
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