Hailey Van Lith has been balling since she transferred to TCU, and more people should be talking about it.
When Van Lith left Louisville, her decision to join Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese at LSU was lauded as one of women’s college basketball’s best transfer portal moves. On paper, it was program-changing. But reality painted a much different picture. Van Lith struggled in Mulkey’s system, and despite doing her best to work through it, her shortcomings were seemingly broadcast for the world to see. She became a meme and even a viral photo.
However, a second transfer to TCU — a move For The Win’s Mitchell Northam predicted would make the Horned Frogs a must-watch team — is already silencing Van Lith’s haters. She’s having a breakout season. In fact, the Washington native’s playing exactly the way we know she can.
Through eight games, Van Lith is averaging 19.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. Along with players like Sedona Prince, she’s also helped TCU stay undefeated and earn a No. 9 ranking, its highest ever in an AP Top 25 Poll.
Van Lith showed flashes of her old self this past summer at the Paris Olympics when she and Team USA Basketball’s 3×3 team won bronze. But it seems that the change of scenery and support from head coach Mark Campbell has fostered an environment that’s allowed her to blossom again. As TCU’s social media team recently stated about its star guard, “What are they gonna say now?”
