"She's not [what] people make her out to be": Hailey Van Lith's teammates make their feelings clear on TCU Star's reality behind the scenes
After the TCU Horned Frogs' 103-64 win over the samford-bulldogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Samford Bulldogs, senior forward Deasia Merrill and senior guard Madison Conner shared their thoughts on transfer guard Hailey Van Lith. Conner mentioned that she already knew about Van Lith and her character, resulting in an easy transition and seamless bond.
While Merrill was only aware of Van Lith's reputation as one of the most talented hoopers in women's basketball, she also came to admire the former Lousiville/LSU guard's character.
"I just knew about her, being at Louisville, being at LSU, but I always felt like she was a good person," Deasia Merrill said (9:40). "And her coming here, she's not (what) people make her out to be this, whatever the social media is, but she's a really good person."
Madison Conner also mentioned that she enjoys playing alongside Hailey Van Lith due to their contrasting play styles.
Both Conner and Van Lith play the guard position, averaging over 11 attempts per game and over 30 minutes of action. As Van Lith continues to demonstrate her playmaking and leadership abilities as a point guard for TCU, she complements Conner's 3-point sharpshooting style. Notably, three of Van Lith's eight assists against Samford were on baskets made by Conner.
Together, Van Lith's 19.9 points per game and Madison Conner's 14.5 points per game account for nearly 40% of TCU's offense. The Horned Frogs average 83.8 points per game across their first 12 contests.
Hailey Van Lith is committed to becoming the best version of herself
Hailey Van Lith aspires to be a star player in the WNBA. She will exhaust her college eligibility after the ongoing season and will enter the 2025 WNBA draft.
Despite her ultimate goal lying outside the world of numbers, Van Lith has already earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance. For the 23-year-old, this was a way to deepen her understanding of her athletic career and take charge of NIL and other financial matters.
"I might have even still have been in high school when it (NIL) started getting thrown out there and I actually got my undergrad in finance because of it," Van Lith said in Overtime’s Day in the Life video released in November (1:55).
"I wanted to know how to understand my own money knowing that I could have an opportunity to set my kids up for their future to set my kids' kids up if I know how to use my money correctly that definitely inspired me to pursue Finance for my bachelor degree."
Hailey Van Lith went a step further by earning a master's degree in business at Louisiana State University. Now, at Texas Christian University, she is pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts.