Van Lith Exits Tokomanawa Queens for Season
Hailey Van Lith will leave the New Zealand club and miss the rest of the season due to personal reasons.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Basketball
Hailey Van Lith will leave the Tokomanawa Queens of the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league and miss the rest of the season. The Queens listed her as unavailable due to personal reasons.
Why it matters
Van Lith's departure removes a player who averaged 17 points per game across three appearances for the Queens. Her exit follows a difficult stretch in the WNBA, where the Chicago Sky waived her after she was drafted 11th overall in 2025.
In three games with the Queens, Van Lith averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while shooting 50% inside the arc, 30% from three and 88% from the free-throw line. Her most recent WNBA line came with the Chicago Sky in 2025, where she played 29 games and shot 16.1% from three.
The players
Hailey Van Lith
Former Louisville guard drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Sky in 2025, who has also played for the Connecticut Sun and now the Tokomanawa Queens.
Tokomanawa Queens
New Zealand women's professional basketball team competing in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league.
Chicago Sky
Chicago-based WNBA franchise that drafted Van Lith in 2025 and later waived her to free up cap space and roster flexibility.
The details
The Queens marked Van Lith unavailable in their latest player status report, citing personal reasons. Van Lith had joined the Queens in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league in New Zealand after a season that included stints with the Connecticut Sun.
Timeline
2025: The Chicago Sky drafted Van Lith 11th overall.
August: Van Lith earned a seven-day contract with the Connecticut Sun.
September: Van Lith returned to a developmental deal with the Connecticut Sun.
October 31, 2026: The Queens announced Van Lith's exit from New Zealand.
Roadmap
Van Lith's movement between the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun and overseas leagues reflects how the WNBA's developmental-contract system leaves recent draft picks with limited guaranteed roster spots. Her case shows how quickly early-round picks can move through the league's temporary contract structure.
The Queens lose a guard who was scoring 17 points a game, which changes their rotation for the rest of the Tauihi season. Van Lith enters free agency in the offseason, so her next team will be decided in that window.
The takeaway
Van Lith's situation shows that even early WNBA draft picks can face rapid roster changes, so fans tracking a player should follow team transactions and free-agency windows closely.
Further reading
For more on the league structure behind these moves, see Basketball.
Source note: This article includes information reported by EssentiallySports.
