"She must not watch ball at all" - WNBA fans surprised by Hailey Van Lith choosing Jalen Brunson over MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Damian Lillard

Hailey Van Lith may be sidelined with an ankle injury and has missed the Chicago Sky’s last two games, but she is still the center of attention on social media. In a viral NBA-themed segment, the rookie was asked to choose between two NBA stars at a time.

Van Lith repeatedly chose fellow lefty guard Jalen Brunson over several elite players, including 2025 MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Other All-Stars included Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Devin Booker, making it clear that she was a fan of the New York Knicks' leader.

The video went viral, with fans criticizing the WNBA player for her controversial responses.

"She must don’t watch ball at all actually 💀," one fan said.

This season, Jalen Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while leading the New York Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. He earned All-NBA Second Team honors, though players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum were named to the All-NBA First Team.

Statistically, Anthony Edwards also outperformed Brunson, recording higher averages in points and rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Hailey Van Lith has had a modest start to her WNBA rookie campaign. She’s currently averaging 4.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg and 1.6 apg, while dealing with an ankle injury.

Hailey Van Lith criticized by former WNBA Star

Hailey Van Lith’s professional career has not started as she may have desired, with underwhelming early-season stats.

Former WNBA player Angel McCoughtry has been one of the more high-profile names who questioned whether Van Lith's large social media following played a bigger role in her spot in the league than her basketball skills.

"Hailey Van Lith, she's a decent player. Is there players out there who may be better than Hailey Van Lith? I believe so. (But) they're not popular," McCoughtry said on the 'Let Her Shoot!' podcast. "If Hailey Van Lith had 10,000 followers, would she be in the league? Honestly, if we just talk about her true talent, take away the followers, just from her talent right now, would she be in the league if she had 10,000 followers?"

Van Lith, however, appeared to respond with her play. Just before being hampered by an ankle injury, she was showing signs of improvement, averaging 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists over a two-game stretch.

Edited by John Maxwell