Hailey Van Lith’s 2023 college basketball season concluded with a disappointing performance, prompting her to seek a fresh start and transfer to another school.
After a viral moment in the Elite 8 where she struggled to defend Caitlin Clark, Van Lith entered the transfer portal.
She has now decided to join TCU, as reported by The Next Hoops’ Talia Goodman.
Van Lith spent a challenging season at LSU, where she attempted to adapt to a new role as a point guard under coach Kim Mulkey. Her performance did not meet her previous standards, with a shooting percentage of 37.8% and an average of 11.6 points per game, a significant drop from her time at Louisville.
Coach Mulkey expressed support for Van Lith’s decision to transfer after just one season at LSU. “Her aspirations were to get drafted this year, and she realized, ‘I need another year, and I need to go back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position,’” Mulkey stated at a team banquet, as reported by Nola.com. “And what do you do? You hug her, and you wish her well.”
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Before LSU, Van Lith had an impressive three-season run at Louisville, where she was a key player on a National Championship-winning team, averaging 15.4 points on 13.2 shots per game. However, her numbers fell to just 11.6 points on 9.9 shots per game at LSU, and her overall shooting percentage dropped from 42.2% to 37.8%, although her three-point shooting slightly improved from 33.7% to 33.9%.
The decision to leave LSU followed a tough Elite Eight game where Clark scored 41 points against LSU, and Van Lith struggled, scoring only nine points on 2-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.
