BIRMINGHAM, Ala.โBefore TCU took on Texas in the Elite Eight of the womenโs NCAA Tournament, Hailey Van Lith received a heartfelt message from her father. It read, โThe sun is going to rise tomorrow no matter if you win or lose. So go out there and have fun.โ Such words offered Van Lith some comfort after scoring 17 points in TCUโs 58-47 defeat to Texas on Monday night. During the emotional postgame news conference, Van Lith reflected more on her rewarding college career rather than the disappointment of the gameโs outcome.
Van Lithโs journey through college basketball is marked by her stints at three different schools, accumulating a total of 2,599 points. She etched her place in history as the first college basketball player, regardless of gender, to reach the Elite Eight five times, bringing three different programs to an NCAA regional final. The 23-year-old from Wenatchee, Washington, played her first three seasons at Louisville before transferring to LSU last year, earning the nickname โMiss Marchโ for her consistent tournament appearances.
While seated next to coach Mark Campbell and teammates Sedona Prince and Madison Conner, Van Lith reminisced on her challenging journey. โIโm sitting up here now with women that I love and a coach that I love and a team that I love,โ she expressed, โand we arenโt even sad about losing. Weโre sad that we arenโt going to see each other probably next week. My journey has been crazy, and Iโm super grateful for it; I wouldnโt have had it any other way.โ
Among the cheering fans Monday night was Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs, proudly wearing Van Lithโs jersey backward to show her name. Van Lithโs tenure at Louisville led to a Final Four spot, after which she joined forces with Angel Reese and four-time national champion coach Kim Mulkey at LSU, following last yearโs Elite Eight loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
By adding Van Lith, TCU achieved a new best, reaching beyond the second round in March Madness for the first time. The Horned Frogs (34-4) set records not just in overall victories and Big 12 wins (16) but also maintained an undefeated home record during the regular season. Van Lith, who boasted averages of 17.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, left a lasting legacy at TCU in just one year.
โI donโt know the criteria in regards to getting your jersey hung at TCU,โ stated Campbell, โbut I have a hard time believing that anybody in any sport in one year can have a greater impact than what Hailey Van Lith has had at TCU.โ
As one of the most recognizable figures in womenโs basketball, Van Lith revealed after TCUโs second-round victory against Louisville her struggles with mental health. She credits playing for TCU and her faith with helping her overcome these challenges. โIt was a lot of nights of being, like, โI feel like God has put this thing on my heart to be great, but itโs not working out right now,'โ Van Lith shared. โA lot of times, I had to look at myself in the mirror and just be like, โWhat do you want, Hailey? Who are you?โโ She concluded, โIโm grateful for it. Iโm grateful for the fact that (God) gave me a hard journey because I would not be the woman I am sitting up here without it.โ