The Connecticut Sun waived Hailey Van Lith on Sunday, ending a brief but productive run in Connecticut after the team gave her a late chance before the 2026 WNBA season. The move opened roster space for the activation of Leila Lacan.
Van Lith played nine games for the Sun and averaged 8.1 points, 2.2 assists and 1.1 rebounds per game. She shot 49.2% from the field, 47.1% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the foul line, numbers that suggested she had found a useful role after being cut late by the Chicago Sky before the 2026 WNBA season.
The Sun’s decision was driven by roster math, but it also marked the end of a chance Van Lith had earned the hard way. Connecticut signed her on the eve of the season after Chicago moved on, giving the guard a pathway back into the league when few openings remained. In a league where late roster cuts can end a season before it starts, she managed to turn one into nine games of steady production.
The move now clears the way for Lacan, who had been on a contract suspension because of overseas obligations. She was returning from a long playoff run in France that ended with a championship and a Finals MVP award, forcing Connecticut to make a choice between keeping a backcourt contributor and activating an overseas player whose season had just ended abroad.
That is the hard edge of WNBA roster management: a player can do enough to help a team, then still be the one moved when another contract comes back into play. Van Lith’s production gave the Sun evidence they had made the right call in taking the chance, and sources said she was grateful for Connecticut’s transparency and the opportunity while remaining motivated to build on the momentum from her time there.
For Van Lith, the next step is less about what was lost than what she showed in nine games. She proved she could score efficiently, handle the ball and fit into a rotation on short notice. For the Sun, the decision reflects a familiar late-season tradeoff, one that sends a useful guard away only because another player’s overseas season has finally reached its end.
