Sky waive Hailey Van Lith, sign Natasha Cloud

Brutal day for Hailey Van Lith. The Sky cut their 2025 first-round pick — No. 11 overall, one of the most marketable rookies in the WNBA — after a single season. ESPN's Kendra Andrews reported it was a "style of play preference." Translation: new head coach Tyler Marsh has a different vision and Van Lith doesn't fit it.

The numbers backed up the call. Van Lith averaged 3.5 points in 12.4 minutes per game, shot 33.9% from the field, 16.1% from three, and turned the ball over more than she assisted. Persistent ankle issues led to offseason surgery. At 5-foot-9, she struggled defensively against bigger guards. The Sky's offseason — Skylar Diggins, Courtney Vandersloot back, Jacy Sheldon trade, DiJonai Carrington and Gabriela Jaquez additions — left no minutes for her anyway.

In her place: Natasha Cloud on a one-year, $555,000 deal. The 34-year-old vet brings real defense (three All-WNBA defensive selections), a championship pedigree from her 2019 Mystics title, and 5.1 assists per game last season for the Liberty. She'll start while Vandersloot rehabs an ACL. Van Lith's reps are already working the phones — Portland and Seattle have been floated as potential landing spots.