Ex-WNBA star apologizes to Sky's Hailey Van Lith for crediting career to social media
Former WNBA superstar Angel McCoughtry landed herself in some hot water recently after making some bold comments about Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith. While appearing on 'The Daily W' podcast, McCoughtry was attempting to make a point about whether having or not having an online following makes a difference for current athletes. Instead, she had to take to Instagram to clarify her statements and apologize to Van Lith, claiming her thoughts were 'misconstrued.'
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'Just so y'all know, I know one thing I ain't is a hater. I ain't never hated on nobody, and those words ain't never come out my mouth,' McCoughtry's message started. She then went on to take responsibility for how she may have impacted Van Lith.
'Now, my mistake … was giving a point with the wrong delivery. I shouldn't have used a certain player to make an example of a point I was trying to make. And I want to apologize for that. I can take accountability when I'm wrong, y'all, so I'm going to apologize to [Van Lith] for that. You worked hard for everything you've got, plus more.'
Initially, McCoughtry implied that Sky rookie Van Lith, who has 1.3 million Instagram followers after her time as a standout at TCU, might not have been in the WNBA if she didn't have as much attention on her from being an influencer.
'If Hailey Van Lith had 10,000 followers, would she be in the league?' McCoughtry asked the podcast co-hosts. 'Honestly. We're just talking about her true talent. Take away her followers. Would she be in the league if she only had 10,000 followers?'
Credit: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Van Lith herself hasn't commented on any of the controversy, but Sky head coach Tyler Marsh did stick up for her production so far in the 2025 WNBA season and reminded the media that Van Lith is making a massive adjustment from starter to off-the-bench contributor for the first time in her playing career.
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'[Van Lith]'s handled the minutes that she's had very well. She's handled the pressure well. She's been able to feel that presence when we needed her to, and she's been coachable,' Marsh told the Chicago Tribune. 'For us, it's been about continuing to find what units work the best together and have the most cohesion.'
McCoughtry ironically has something in common with Van Lith, having also played NCAA basketball at Louisville. The Atlanta Dream then took McCoughtry No. 1 overall in 2009, and the two-time WNBA scoring champion and five-time All-Star ended her career with the Minnesota Lynx in 2022.
Related: Mercury's Kathryn Westbeld reflects on rematch with sister Maddy before facing Sky
Related: Sky's Angel Reese arrives in style for Mercury showdown
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