In the modern era of college athletics, transfer students like Jayden Daniels, Angel Reese and Paul Skenes have won over the hearts of the LSU faithful shortly after moving here.
Hailey Van Lith is hoping to be the next in line.
The 22-year-old Wenatchee, Washington, native joined the Tigers last summer, after spending the past three seasons as one of Louisville’s most impactful players.
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Van Lith led the Cardinals in scoring twice, racking up 1,553 career points prior to her Capital City arrival. She helped lead Louisville to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2022 Final Four when she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Wichita Regional.
Van Lith finished her junior season as one of only two players in the country to average at least 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game.
The two-time First Team All-ACC guard is quickly finding her footing in Kim Mulkey’s talented group of defending champions.
“LSU’s team is full of great players,” Van Lith said when she first committed to LSU. “I’m overjoyed to have the opportunity to play with them. I know my teammates will embrace my competitiveness and fire. I’m extremely excited and honored to have an opportunity to play for (Mulkey). She will help elevate my game and push me to be successful at the next level.”
By early December, Van Lith had started all nine games she’d played in for LSU, leading the team with 30 minutes and 5 assists per game to go along with 12.2 points per outing.
And Van Lith’s other goals for this year may take her all the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics. She’s previously earned five gold medals for Team USA, including with the senior team at last year’s FIBA 3×3 World Cup. She’s also hopeful for a future in the WNBA, but she told NBC Sports last fall that she’s focused on completing her master’s degree at LSU for now.
And while she may be roughly 2,500 miles from her Northeastern hometown, the rowdy and proud PMAC crowds have made her feel right at home.
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“The fan base and university here love and support their women’s basketball team like no other,” Van Lith said last year. “LSU plays with an intensity and grit that I am drawn to and I am wholeheartedly committed to helping this team be great.”
So far, she’s living up to her promise. lsusports.net
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Angel Reese
All eyes have been on LSU Women’s Basketball’s star forward Angel Reese since she led the Tigers to the team’s first NCAA championship last year. Known for her stellar double-double record, her tenacity on the court and roughly $1.7 million in NIL valuation (according to Sports Illustrated), the Bayou Barbie was named to multiple top players watch lists for 2024. Though it’ll be tough to keep up with her 2023 track record—she took home the BET Sportswoman of the Year, the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete and the Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards last season—Reese is predicted by many to be a top 10 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, though according to reports, she’s motivated to earn herself an even higher ranking on the court this season.