FORT WORTH, Texas — Hailey Van Lith is making a prominent mark at TCU in her final season, hoping to guide the team through the women’s NCAA Tournament just as she did during her tenure with Louisville. This year, destiny has crafted an intriguing matchup for Van Lith, aligning her against her former team in the second round set for Sunday.
“I understand the narrative that’s being painted. It doesn’t necessarily align with where I’m at mentally or emotionally. And that’s OK,” Van Lith shared on Saturday. “I’m in a really good place. I’m excited to play. … TCU is looking to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time ever, so that’s significantly bigger than any other narrative.”
Van Lith began her illustrious college basketball career at Louisville, where she started in 101 games, achieved an impressive average of 15.4 points, and led the team to an NCAA Final Four and two Elite Eights between 2021 and 2023. Following her strong performances over three years, Van Lith joined an LSU team fresh off a national championship run and proceeded to another Elite Eight before ultimately transferring once more. Her final collegiate chapter unfolds at TCU, a program that hasn’t progressed beyond the second round and prior to this year hadn’t made the tournament in 15 years.
This anticipated encounter between Van Lith and Louisville nearly happened in last year’s NCAA tournament but was thwarted when the Cardinals were upset by Middle Tennessee in the first round, letting LSU advance instead. This year, after winning the Big 12, TCU overpowered Fairleigh Dickinson to mark their first NCAA win since 2006, while Louisville followed suit with a victory over Nebraska, setting the stage for this compelling rematch.
Louisville’s coach Jeff Walz reflected on Van Lith’s impact, saying, “We won a lot of games. … We had really good basketball teams. She was a big part of it; she had a great career.” He also highlighted her academic achievement, noting, “She graduated college in three years, which nobody really talks about, and they should. Because that’s our job as coaches. Sure, if you lose games, you get fired. But at the end of the day, it’s to get kids to graduate from college. 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 excelled in her time at Louisville, notably averaging 14.4 points per game during their Final Four run in 2022 and subsequently 19.7 points per game as a junior in her concluding season with the Cardinals. Reflecting, she said, “It’s the people that I remember most. And you know, we did go to the Final Four. That’s life-changing, a lot of emotions there. I look back on it positively.”
Under Mark Campbell’s leadership as head coach over the past two years, TCU has bolstered its basketball program through strategic transfers. With additions like Sedona Prince and Madison Conner initially, and more recently Van Lith along with Taylor Bigby from USC and Donovyn Hunter from Oregon State, the team was revived.
Van Lith’s own ties to Louisville remain strong, being part of the 2020–21 freshman class with Olivia Cochran and Merissah Russell, with Russell still counted among her closest friends. “Probably going to be a bridesmaid at my wedding if I ever get married,” Van Lith joked.
In a sentiment of camaraderie, Russell expressed, “Hailey was a great teammate. I’m wishing her the best, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to survive and move forward. At the end of the day this is basketball and it’s competition. … She wants to compete as much as I want to compete against her. So there’s no bad blood, all love.”
