Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith (Photo via Getty Images)

In 2023, after three seasons at Louisville, Hailey Van Lith transferred to the reigning National Champion Louisiana State Tigers. It was a huge addition for a team already looking strong to go back-to-back. However, Angel Reese recently opened up about Van Lith’s relationship with her teammates

During Reese’s podcast “Unapologetically Angel,” she revealed that Van Lith was very distant from the rest of the team.

“We weren’t, like, super close. But I was probably one of the closer people with her on the team,” said Reese. “I think she was really distant from everybody else, so I kinda felt bad. So I was like, “let me get close to her and like see who she is” because she was the only white girl on the team. So, I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. I wanted her to feel as comfortable as she could.”

“I think it just wasn’t a good fit for that specific team. She’s an amazing guard that can do so many great things on the court,” Reese continued. “I’ve seen her kill for a long time, and I know she’ll continue to kill. I’ve seen her get her confidence back.”

Of course, striving for such a huge accomplishment as winning back-to-back National Championships can be extremely difficult if the team isn’t on the same page.

Angel Reese Is Clearly In The Running For WNBA Rookie of the Year

Not only was Reese an outstanding player while at LSU, but she also produced just as much in her rookie season with the Chicago Sky.

Among rookies, she is second in points per game, first in rebounds, fifth in assists per game, second in steals, fifth in blocks, and second in player efficiency rating.

Of course, she also broke the record for most rebounds in a season and is currently at 446, smashing the previous number set by Sylvia Flowers at 401.