Hailey Van Lith did not ask for this: a second-round game against her old school. It would be an awkward matchup for almost anybody, but it is especially unfortunate for Van Lith. She was a star with the Louisville Cardinals and is a star with the TCU Horned Frogs. She doesn’t need to give anybody the opening to say anything else. But if No. 2 seed TCU loses to No. 7 seed Louisville … well, people will say what they will say. She knows that by now.
It is easy—too easy—to view Van Lith’s collegiate career through the prism of expectations: First she wowed people with what she does well, and then she heard all about what she doesn’t do well. For three years at Louisville, Van Lith was an irresistible offensive force, the kind of player everyone wants on their team. Then she transferred to the LSU Tigers, joining what was supposed to be a superteam, but the year only seemed to highlight her limitations.
