"A lot of people don't know half of what I've been through"- Hailey Van Lith opens up about her basketball journey from LSU to TCU
Former LSU star Hailey Van Lith has continued her impressive start to life at TCU, scoring 27 points in the Horned Frogs' 86-46 win over Idaho State on Sunday.
Van Lith left the Tigers after a tumultuous 2023-24 season, which ended with LSU crashing out in the Elite Eight.
Van Lith has since rediscovered her joy for basketball with the move to TCU, and she opened up about her journey thus far in a press conference following the rout.
"A lot of people don’t even know half of what I’ve been through, and that doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, people don’t need to know. I’ve had a great support system. I couldn’t be happier with the team and the coaches that I have this year. I’m just excited to keep playing," Van Lith said.
Van Lith's dream LSU move turns into a nightmare
Van Lith's basketball journey hit the rocks last season when she moved to LSU as a transfer graduate from Louisville. She joined the Tigers to help them with their NCAA title defense and in the process improve her WNBA Draft stock.
She struggled to find a consistent role, however, with the Tigers, who had a bunch of star players in their ranks including Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow and Flau'jae Johnson.
Van Lith's numbers dipped as a result. She averaged just 11.6 points per game last season, well below the 19.7 PPG clip she recorded in her final season with Louisville.
Van Lith entered the transfer portal once again following LSU's loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
That proved to be a wise decision for Van Lith as she has rejuvenated her basketball career at TCU. Van Lith's averaging 19.2 points and 7.0 assists through the Horned Frogs' first six games.
Van Lith pays tribute to TCU teammates and coaches
Van Lith hailed her coaches and teammates at TCU for helping her rediscover the love for basketball.
"That’s a tribute to a lot of the environment that I’m in. Obviously, everybody knows my story and it’s been far from what I thought it would be but at the same time that was a very personal moment for me.
"With my personality, it’s hard for me to let people see me get like that, especially the whole world saw it. It is an inspiring story and it’s a story about perseverance, it’s a story about self-belief and I couldn’t have done it without the people around me," Van Lith said.
Van Lith is off to a dream start with her new team, with TCU remaining unbeaten through six games.