BATON ROUGE, La. — The whirlwind has been a lot for Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith, but so far she’s kept her footing. Van Lith, the No. 10 overall pick, played her final game at TCU in the Elite Eight on March 31, got drafted two weeks later and had four practices in training camp this week before taking the court Friday against the Brazilian national team at LSU. Her acclimation to the WNBA carries a particularly high level of difficulty as the Sky work here at point and shooting guard. “There’s a lot more mental load that you take on, let alone the new plays and new system, but also you have to lead your team,” Van Lith said. “It doesn’t matter that I’m a rookie — if I’m playing point guard, I have to be able to tell my teammates what to do and where to be. It is a lot to learn the system and establish yourself as that leader on the court.” Van Lith began her collegiate career as a shooting guard at Louisville, then played one season at LSU as a point guard before moving back to shooting guard at TCU. Sky coach Tyler Marsh said Van Lith is off to a strong start and is benefitting from 14-year veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who started Friday. Vandersloot is a five-time All-Star with two championships. “It’s hard not to [progress] with the example she has in front of her,” Marsh said of Van Lith. “She’s been keeping a close eye on her, and Sloot’s been great and shares her knowledge and wisdom and experience with her.” In addition to learning the Sky’s system and making the jump from college to the pros in a quick turnaround, Van Lith also has had little time to rest over the past year. She helped the United States win bronze in three-on-three basketball at the Olympics last year, then played a team-high 35.3 minutes per game at TCU before launching into Sky training camp. “There’s a good and a bad side of it,” she said of her schedule. “You never really get out of rhythm and you stay in that flow, but no one who plays a lot of minutes in college is really healthy at the end of the season. You’re just playing through things. “You’ve got some bruises and you’re bumped up, but nothing too serious for me. I’m a tough girl, so I’ll play through the fatigue.” Marsh’s debut Far from the spotlight of Angel Reese’s return to LSU and center Kamilla Cardoso facing her country’s team, Marsh made his head-coaching debut at 37. He had been an assistant at various levels in the NBA and WNBA before getting this job. “I don’t take this position for granted,” he said. “Every night I am able to lead this team and lead our staff is a moment I’ve dreamt about.” Marsh spoke with his former boss, Aces coach and Hall of Fame player Becky Hammon, on Thursday and got a last-minute pep talk. Season preview? The Sky opened against Brazil with Vandersloot as their starting point guard along with Ariel Atkins, Kia Nurse, Reese and Cardoso. While that’s a reasonable lineup to expect when the Sky open May 17 against the Fever, Marsh warned against reading too much into it and said it was “just a lineup we felt comfortable with after the last few days of camp,” and that it could change for the preseason game against the Lynx on Tuesday. Sivka in question The Sky drafted Slovenian forward Asja Sivka with the No. 9 pick, but are unsure whether she’ll report this season. Marsh said the team is “still in communication with her, but no updated timeline.” He did not clarify whether it’s still possible she joins the team this season. Sivka can defer her rookie season to 2026.