Caitlin Clark may be the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, but that didn’t save her from getting cut in Hailey Van Lith’s “start-bench-cut” rankings during a lighthearted interview at the 2025 WNBA Draft ceremony.
Van Lith, selected 11th overall by the Chicago Sky, was asked by USA Today Sports to choose between three of the sport’s biggest names: WNBA legend Diana Taurasi, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, and Clark, who’s become the face of the league after just one season.
“Give flowers to the legend. We are going to start Diana Taurasi,” Van Lith said. “I’m going to bench Sabrina and cut Caitlin.”
HVL became an opp twice today 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/bgEpH4F6nT
— a🤍 (@bdilh021524) April 15, 2025
While her answer was clearly made in good fun, it quickly caught fire on social media. Fans debated whether Van Lith was snubbing a rising superstar or simply tipping her cap to the legacy of Taurasi, a three-time WNBA champion and former MVP. Ionescu, meanwhile, led the Liberty to their first-ever WNBA title. Clark? She turned in a record-breaking rookie campaign and earned All-Star honors in her debut season.
Caitlin Clark is about to ‘cook’ Hailey Van Lith on National TV
As soon as the draft concluded, fans realized Van Lith’s WNBA debut would come against none other than Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever—on national TV. Naturally, the internet had a field day. One user, @HeavensFX, posted a photo of Van Lith’s emotional draft-night reaction with the caption: “When you realize your WNBA debut will be another nationally televised cooking by Caitlin Clark.”
Another fan wrote, “She found out. There’s nothing you can do. Nobody can shut down CC, 1v1.” A Clark supporter added, “Caitlin’s going to cook Hailey again. I feel bad for her—I actually like Van Lith.”
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) April 15, 2025
The rivalry isn’t new. In March 2023, Clark dropped a 41-point triple-double to eliminate Van Lith’s Louisville Cardinals in the Elite Eight. In 2024, she repeated the feat, scoring 41 points again—this time against Van Lith’s LSU Tigers.
Now, with both stars in the WNBA, the stakes are even higher. Van Lith will get her chance to flip the script, but she’ll have to go through Clark on opening night—a player she cut from her dream lineup and one who doesn’t need much to get fired up.
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