TCU's Hailey Van Lith downplays March Madness reunion with Louisville: 'It is what it is'
Following TCU's 73-51 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of women's March Madness on Friday, Horned Frogs superstar Hailey Van Lith stayed back in the stands to watch her former team Louisville.
Van Lith spent the first three seasons of her collegiate career at Louisville. She had an underwhelming season at LSU last year, before finding her spot at TCU.
Now, the No. 2 seed Horned Frogs will face off against Louisville — which beat Nebraska 63-58 in that game Van Lith watched — in the Round of 32 on Sunday. TCU's first Sweet 16 appearance is at stake.
Although the second-round matchup will mark the first time she's played either of her former teams, Van Lith downplayed the upcoming reunion and referred to it as just another game. Louisville head coach Jeff Walz, who coached Van Lith for three years, concurred and said facing off against his former player is "no big deal."
"Obviously it was a part of my journey," Van Lith said. "I've evolved past that part of who I was there (in Louisville), but there is still people there that I love, and so I wish them well. You know, it is what it is."
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Van Lith experienced much success at Louisville, leading the Cardinals to the Elite Eight twice (2021, 2023) and the Final Four (2022) during her three-year stint.
"We won a lot of games," Walz said about his time with Van Lith. "We had really good basketball teams. (Van Lith) was a big part of it. She had a great career. She graduated college in three years, which nobody really talks about, and they should... She did that in three years and decided to make a move, which is great. Everybody does it. It's no big deal."
Van Lith transferred to the reigning national champion LSU Tigers in April 2023, but the fit didn't pan out well. She experienced a drop in her scoring volume and efficiency, posting a career-low shooting percentage (37.8%) and averaging only 11.6 points per game, an eight-point drop from her 2022-23 season average in Louisville (19.7 pts). Van Lith's performance drew criticism, with some questioning if her game could translate to the WNBA.
Instead of declaring for the 2024 WNBA draft, Van Lith cashed in her fifth and final year of eligibility and transferred to TCU, where she's had a renaissance season. Van Lith was named Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 17.9 points per game shooting a career-high 45.9% from the field. She powered the Horned Frogs to their first regular season title, first conference tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010, with the team's highest seeding in program history.
"At the end of the day, I'm just excited to play another game, whoever that may be. I'm up for the challenge," said Van Lith, who had 13 points and seven assists vs. FDU on Friday. "Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, and I'm just going to go out there and try to be the same girl that I've always been. I have a team that loves me. I have a team that has my back. So I'm in a great environment to feel supported."
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Van Lith credits her seamless transition to TCU to chemistry with her teammates, including All-Big 12 First Team center Sedona Prince, who finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in Friday's win. The chemistry is visible on the floor. Van Lith broke TCU's single-season assist record Friday with 188 assists on the season.
"A lot of people may think I'm crazy... but I always knew what was coming for this team. I expected this type of outcome," Van Lith said. "You just look at who we have as a staff, personnel on paper, and then you combine that with what happened when we all met each other and the chemistry that came from that immediately."
She continued: "Basketball is great and all, but I'm enjoying every day that I get to practice with these girls. Like when we had our team dinner last night, all those little moments. I know this is the end for me. I'm not coming back to college. So really just enjoying all that with them."
TCU head coach Mark Campbell said his team's cohesion is their "secret sauce." He added, "It is incredibly hard in the portal era to get a group of young college athletes — I don't care what sport it is — to truly love each other and play for each other and find joy in each other's success."
TCU is 20-0 at home this season and enters Sunday's matchup on an eleven game win streak. Van Lith and TCU can check off another first. With a win, TCU will advance to its first Sweet 16 in program history.
"We're hard to kill at home. We're undefeated. I'll take that percentage," Van Lith said.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hailey Van Lith downplays TCU vs. Louisville reunion in March Madness
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