Houston hooper Kateri Poole drops 3-word reaction on former teammate Hailey Van Lith's WNBA debut snaps
Hailey Van Lith will make her WNBA debut on Saturday and her former LSU teammate Kateri Poole showed her some support on social media. Van Lith was the No. 11 pick during the 2025 WNBA draft and is set to start her career in the pros with the Chicago Sky.
On Saturday, the former TCU star posted several snaps of herself in a Sky jersey ahead of her debut.
"Twice as grateful," she wrote on Instagram.
Poole, who currently plays for the Houston Cougars, joined other fans to share her reactions to the post.
"Let’s go 2🔥🔥🔥," she wrote.
Van Lith teamed up with Poole and another former LSU teammate, Angel Reese, to help the Tigers to the 2022 national championship. Following an underwhelming season with the Tigers, Van Lith moved to TCU for her final season of collegiate basketball.
With the Horned Frogs, the LSU transfer enjoyed a stellar campaign, winning the Big 12 Conference and earning the conference's Player of the Year Award, while leading TCU to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.
Hailey Van Lith to make Chicago debut against Caitlin Clark's Indiana
Hailey Van Lith will start her WNBA career with a matchup against former Iowa star Caitlin Clark on Saturday. The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever will face off, and Van Lith is expected to make her rookie debut in the game.
Van Lith is one of the most exciting rookies in 2025, however, her season opener is not certain after suffering an ankle injury during practice this week. The good news is that her availability status has been upgraded from questionable to probable ahead of the game.
The former TCU star was impressive during the preseason, averaging six points and 4.3 assists as a backup behind Courtney Vandersloot. After a strong collegiate career where she remains the only player to reach the NCAA Elite Eight in three programs, she is expected to develop her game with the Chicago Sky.
With Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso on Saturday's roster, Van Lith should not be under too much pressure as she navigates her first professional basketball game. Her debut is highly anticipated as she will be alongside Reese, squaring off against Clark, last season's Rookie of the Year.