Swimsuit

Hailey Van Lith’s Bold New Hair Transformation Has Fans Doing a Double Take

The digital cover model has now chimed in on the status of her latest look.

Bailey Colon

Hailey Van Lith was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne/Sony Alpha in Fort Worth, Texas.
Hailey Van Lith was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne/Sony Alpha in Fort Worth, Texas. / Taylor Ballantyne/Sports Illustrated

Exactly one week ago, Chicago Sky guard and SI Swimsuit digital cover model Hailey Van Lith arrived at Wintrust Arena in a monochromatic sweatsuit and a brand new hairdo for the team’s home matchup against the Seattle Storm.

While the No. 12-ranked Sky—who selected the Washington native with the 11th pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft—ultimately fell to the No. 6 Storm, Van Lith’s new look is still a conversation starter around the league to date, as she’s traded in her icy-toned hair for a warmer strawberry blonde.

LeagueFits showcased the rookie’s stylish appearance in a handful of Instagram snaps on Monday—pulling tunnel outfits from the Sky’s matchups against the Connecticut Sun on Aug. 23 and New York Liberty, two days prior (Aug. 21). The first slide stated, “chicago's newest red head: hailey van lith,” coupled with a fitting strawberry emoji. But Van Lith corrected the platform’s statement in its comment section with a three-word response: “It’s not red.”

As for the baller’s mid-month hair change, fans of Van Lith—who is currently averaging 3.5 points per game in her debut season with the Sky—expressed their love for her new look.

“This is everything 🔥🔥🔥,” one fan scribed.

“Strawberry Barbie 🍓🍓🍓🔥🔥🔥,” another user agreed.

During her inaugural stint with the magazine, where Van Lith scored a cover spot with the brand in April, the 23-year-old delved into life in the spotlight and its specific challenges surrounding her appearance.

“Growing up in the frame of social media and the pressures that those bring, I 100% felt pressure. When I was 15,16, and I first started blowing up, my thighs were too big, my hair was too short. I had too much acne. All the comments that just flood those pictures—It’s hard when you’re that young,” she explained to hairstylist Paul Norton. The model continued, adding, “Now that I’ve matured and had more experiences, I feel so much more authentic.”

But that doesn’t mean that those “pressures” have gone away—at least, not completely. "I still struggle with it," Van Lith admitted. “But at the end of the day, I have more good days than bad days. And you know, I’m proud of myself for that.”

Van Lith graced the pages of the magazine again, one month after her debut shoot in Fort Worth, Texas, joining Rayniah Jones and Phoenix Dawn Miranda for the brand’s second Big 12 feature. The former NCAA athlete wrapped up her collegiate career at Texas Christian University in late March.

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Bailey Colon
BAILEY COLON

Bailey Colón is a writer on the Breaking and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit, Colón worked at the National Basketball Association where she served as a founding member of the ‘Starting 5’ newsletter and led editorial operations for the NBA App and dotcom. Colón is particularly passionate about the impact of athletics on popular culture, fashion and media. The New England native has a bachelor’s degree from Marist College in journalism and political science.

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