WARNING: This article contains talks of suicide.
On Sunday, TCU Horned Frogs star Hailey Van Lith opened up about her early life struggles with mental health. She talked with the media after her team defeated Louisville, her former program, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Van Lith spoke in detail about a difficult period in her life when she battled suicidal thoughts. As her constant success on the court never hinted at her struggles, she shared that her faith has raised her up from the pits of despair.
“I got exposed to the media and social media at such a young age,” Van Lith said. “I really struggled with mental health things. When I was younger and in college I was suicidal, I was heavily medicated and I felt trapped. You would never know because I was having a ton of success on the court but internally and in life in general, I was ready to be done.
“So that’s what I mean when I speak [of] suffering and pain—I didn’t even want to live. So, to come from that to this is incredible.
“I have been praying all year like, God I know you’ve given me this testimony to share it with the world and shed your light and I think that this is the year that and this is the moment that he wants people to know my story and how he’s just taken me literally from the depth of wanting to die to this moment of loving life.”Hailey Van Lith talks about her mental health struggles throughout her college career, and how this year has been such a blessing for her.
Really powerful message worth watching from the TCU guard pic.twitter.com/AzNU4oLPQw
— Nick Girimonte (@GirimonteNicky) March 24, 2025
Hailey Van Lith was one of the 2020 class’ best recruits. She caught national attention through her stints in high school and Team USA before making highlight plays in college.
Hailey Van Lith credits Kobe Bryant for her health journey
TCU star Hailey Van Lith credited the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant as the inspiration for her mindset of valuing the journey over the outcome. In an interview on Sunday, she said Bryant, who mentored her in high school, instilled in her her current views on life. She further added how Kobe’s teachings helped her make the most of her college years.
“Yeah, it started with Kobe,” Van Lith said. “He planted that in me and I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s the essence of life.
“It is how can I enjoy this journey and last year and the years before, even though it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. It’s made me who I am and it’s given me this platform this year and it’s all come together.”
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Van Lith is currently averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds this season.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
