Hailey Van Lith has gone a long way from being a transfer student from LSU to TCU to one of the most significant stars of the Horned Frogs program, and now one of the top names in the list of apparent WNBA draft picks. However, this was not the case a year ago as she went through a challenging time coming from the Tigers. As she goes through what some may say is a redemption arc, the young player gets recognition from fans and analysts alike.
In one of the recent games she broadcasted for, analyst Chiney Ogwumike shared her honest thoughts on the “disrespect” that Hailey Van Lith has received in the past year.
“I’ll just say it like this: Let the apologies be as loud as the disrespect when it comes to Hailey Van Lith,” Ogwumike said per an X post from College GameDay.
“Let the apologies be as loud as the disrespect when it comes to Hailey Van Lith.”@chiney breaks down HVL’s historic season and how she’s adapted since transferring to TCU 🙌 pic.twitter.com/kx7aBnLdmh
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) March 9, 2025
Fans and supporters echoed the analyst’s take on the progress of van Lith, and former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy was one of the people who shared the same sentiment.
Handy took to his Instagram to share the post quoting Gwumike and added in his own caption.
“That part,” he wrote.
Hailey Van Lith faced significant challenges during her time at LSU, where she struggled with inefficient shooting and a career-low average of 11.6 points per game. Despite her efforts, she received criticism and blame for the team’s poor performance, which ultimately led to her decision to transfer.
At TCU, Van Lith quickly became a key player, averaging 21 points per game and earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Her performance helped lead the Horned Frogs to a historic season, including a Big 12 Tournament championship. Van Lith’s resilience and determination allowed her to overcome the challenges she faced at LSU and prove her worth as a top-tier player at TCU.
Hailey Van Lith Credits Head Coach in Navigating Through Her Transfer
In a previous interview, Hailey Van Lith opened up about navigating through her challenging times and finding her way to TCU. Through all this, he gave a lot of credit to her head coach Mark Campbell.
“I think my relationship with Coach [Mark Campbell] has been a huge blessing. Not just basketball, like my faith, my life, how I operate every day, my values,” she said. “It has really been a part of God’s plan for me to be here this year. And he has challenged me a lot to open up and be vulnerable with him, and really show who I am. And I’m working on it.
“As soon as I came on campus, I knew this was the place for me.”
Hailey Van Lith on her decision to come to TCU pic.twitter.com/QKW5bP74Ms
— Nick Girimonte (@GirimonteNicky) February 23, 2025
Hailey van Lith added: “Again, not perfect, but I couldn’t be more thankful for him.”
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