Why did Hailey Van Lith transfer from Louisville? How former Cardinal star ended up at TCU
Hailey Van Lith's path to the national championship was always going to be through Louisville.
That's at least what it will feel like when the TCU graduate transfer takes on the program where she began her collegiate career. Van Lith and the No. 2 seed Horned Frogs (32-3) take on the No. 7 seed Cardinals (22-10) at 6 p.m. ET Sunday in the second round of the 2025 women's NCAA Tournament.
Van Lith led the Cardinals to the Elite Eight three times in her three seasons with the program, including a Final Four run during the 2020-21 season. However, following the 2022-23 season, she left Louisville for a chance at a national championship, joining forces with Kim Mulkey, Angel Reese and the defending champion LSU Tigers.
Following a tough 2023-24 season, Van Lith transferred again, this time to TCU. The move has panned out for her, as she averages 17.7 points per game on 45.7% shooting to go along with 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Except for points, those all are career-best marks for the 5-foot-7 guard.
Here's what you need to know about why Van Lith transferred from Louisville to LSU and then from LSU to TCU:
Why did Hailey Van Lith transfer from Louisville?
Van Lith led Louisville to the Final Four during the 2020-21 season and the Elite Eight three times during her time there. Her junior season was the best with the Cardinals, when she averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals on 41% shooting.
However, Van Lith saw an opportunity to compete for a national championship at LSU, which was losing point guard Alexis Morris due to graduation. Moreover, Mulkey had proven herself a national title-winning coach at two programs: Baylor and LSU, the latter in her second season in Baton Rouge.
"It was a well-thought out but last minute decision," Van Lith said, via The Daily Advertiser. "I was very tied to my teammates at Louisville. But entering the portal was the best thing for me, my happiness and basketball development."
Van Lith entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 8 with a "do not contact" tag, meaning she had a short list of schools she would consider. She made a secret visit to LSU and made no other visits while in the portal. She officially committed to the Tigers on April 27.
Van Lith also told the Advertiser she found herself admiring the LSU team even before she knew her intent to transfer:
"I actually said that many times throughout the season, even when I didn't know I was transferring. I was like, 'Man I want to play on that team.' Just like the energy the coaches coach with, the energy coach Mulkey brings to the court, the energy the assistants bring to the court, the energy and attitude the girls play with.
"I think the culture of the team really drew me in. But then getting the chance to play for one of the best point guards ever in coach Mulkey and learn from her is something that's really valuable to me. The fans here, like no other. I'm the type of player that loves to play in front of a big crowd and entertain."
Why did Hailey Van Lith transfer to TCU from LSU?
Despite high expectations with LSU, the Tigers were bounced from the women's NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight a year after winning the national title game. Van Lith struggled particularly to guard Iowa's Caitlin Clark in the big-time matchup, which had her catching heavy criticism.
With one more collegiate year available to her due to COVID-19, Van Lith wanted to give herself one more shot at a national championship. She decided to transfer to TCU, where she was familiar with TCU coach Mark Campbell from when he was an assistant at Oregon.
"It was all a really good fit for me," Van Lith told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram over the summer. "And I felt really comfortable when I came for my visit. It was kind of a no-brainer."
Van Lith joined forces with fellow transfers in Donovyn Hunter (Oregon State) and Taylor Bigby (USC). The trio joined Sedona Prince and Madison Conner to form a strong core that won both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles. Van Lith was named the conference player of the year, the Big 12 tournament MVP and earned All-American honors this season.
Hailey Van Lith high school
Van Lith attended Cashmere (Washington) High School, where she averaged 32.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.2 steals during her senior season. Her stats earned her honors as Washington Ms. Basketball, the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year and the Seattle Times Player of the Year.
Heading into her senior high school season, Van Lith developed a relationship with NBA Hall of Famer and the late Kobe Bryant. She also served as a mentor for his daughter Gianna
Hailey Van Lith recruit ranking
In the 2020 recruiting class, Van Lith was ranked as the No. 1 guard, per the ESPNw 100 rankings. She ranked as the No. 7 overall player behind only No. 1 Paige Bueckers (UConn); No. 2 Angel Reese (Maryland); No. 3 Cameron Brink (Stanford); No. 4 Caitlin Clark (Iowa); No. 5 Kamilla Cardoso (Syracuse); No. 6 Diamond Johnson (Rutgers).
Hailey Van Lith stats
Here is a year-by-year look at Van Lith's stats at Louisville, LSU and with TCU:
- 2020-21 (Louisville): 11.2 points per game (42.9%), 5.2 rebounds per game, 1.2 steals per game, 2.1 assists per game
- 2021-22 (Louisville): 14.4 points per game (43.2%), 3.6 rebounds per game, 1.2 steals per game, 2.2 assists per game
- 2022-23 (Louisville): 19.7 points per game (41.1%), 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.5 steals per game, 3.2 assists per game
- 2023-24 (LSU): 12.3 points per game (37.8%), 2.4 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals per game, 3.7 assists per game
- 2024-25 (TCU): 17.7 points per game (45.7%), 4.3 rebounds per game, 1.2 steals per game, 5.4 assists per game
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Hailey Van Lith transfer: Why Louisville star left for LSU, TCU
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