Women's Fastbreak On SI

TCU's Hailey Van Lith Has 1 Word for NCAA Tournament Game vs Ex-Team Louisville

TCU Horned Frogs Hailey Van Lith got honest about playing her former team Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.

Grant Young

Hailey Van Lith is now at TCU after transferring from Louisville. She previously played at LSU. She has one of the top NIL valuation's among Big 12 women's basketball players.
Hailey Van Lith is now at TCU after transferring from Louisville. She previously played at LSU. She has one of the top NIL valuation's among Big 12 women's basketball players. / Scott Springer/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 2 seeded TCU Horned Frogs women's basketball team beat the No. 7 seed Louisville Cardinals by a score of 85-70 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

In addition to the tournament implications, this game was especially significant for Horned Frogs star Hailey Van Lith, as she spent the first three seasons of her NCAA career at Louisville before transferring to LSU for one year and then coming to the Horned Frogs.

Van Lith scored 16 points to go along with 10 assists and 5 rebounds in the winning effort, therefore eliminating her former team from the tournament.

When speaking with the media after the game, Van Lith was asked how it felt to play her former team and delivered a heartfelt response.

"I would describe it as nostalgic, a little bit," Van Lith replied, per a post from the NCAA March Madness X account. "I was there for three years. A lot of people... I almost completed my entire college career there. Me and Olivia Cochran and Merissah Russell roomed together for about two and a half years or so. I grew up with those girls, man. We made stupid young kid mistakes together.

"100% I feel connected to that community. I'm still heavily involved with some charities there. All the managers are the same managers that I had... the doctors there were there when I was having issues," Van Lith added.

"I have love for them. At the end of the day, it's a sport. we have to compete 100%. And it's my job to go out there and win. But definitely feel connected to the community, and I have positive memories there," Van Lith concluded.

Props to Van Lith for being able to articulate what must be some complex feelings and emotions to unpack in real-time after her new team's win.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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