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Hailey Van Lith's Honest Reaction to Caitlin Clark Heat Check Instantly Became a Meme

Tom Dierberger

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark controls the ball against LSU.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark controls the ball against LSU. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Hailey Van Lith simply had enough.

The LSU guard was tasked with defending star guard Caitlin Clark during the Tigers' 94-87 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight on Monday night. Clark got the best of Van Lith and LSU, dropping 41 points on nine three-pointers and 13-of-29 shooting from the field to steer the Hawkeyes to the Final Four.

At one point, Van Lith let her frustration — perhaps paired with a hint of admiration — show through. After Clark nailed one of her nine three-pointers, Van Lith just held her hands in the air and shrugged.

What else was she supposed to do?

As one can expect, the college basketball world took this small moment and turned it into a meme:

Published
Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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