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Angel Reese opens up on relationship with Hailey Van Lith, how she fit at LSU

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•09/10/24•

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Former LSU stars Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith
© Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

After winning a national championship in 2023, Kim Mulkey hit the transfer portal to bolster the LSU roster. One of most notable additions was Hailey Van Lith, who looked to add even more fire power to a roster that already included Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson.

Van Lith, however, had an up-and-down go in Baton Rouge. While she averaged a career-high 3.6 assists, her scoring dropped to 11.6 points to go with 2.4 rebounds per game. After the season, Van Lith again entered the portal and committed to TCU.

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As Van Lith joined a star-studded LSU roster, Reese noticed she was quiet at first. That led her to get closer to her new teammate, and their relationship is still strong as Reese wraps up her first season in the WNBA.

“We weren’t, like, super close, but I was probably one of the closer people with her on the team because I feel like she was really distant from everybody else,” Reese said on her Unapologetically Angel podcast. “So, I kind of felt bad, so I was like, let me get close to her and see who she is because she was the only white girl on the team.

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“I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. I wanted her to feel as comfortable as she could, being able to come into a situation where she had to transfer. She was super successful at Louisville, and for a little while, she struggled with confidence in the beginning, and just being able to be there for her.”

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Angel Reese: Hailey Van Lith’s game ‘wasn’t a good fit for that specific team’

Van Lith was one of the top players in the country during her career at Louisville, capped by an impressive junior season. That year, she averaged 19.7 points to go with 4.5 rebounds before transferring to LSU.

But as she adjusted to playing alongside Reese, Johnson and Aneesah Morrow, Van Lith found herself playing more of a point guard role. As a result, Reese said, didn’t end up fitting in well with the group in place. That doesn’t mean things ended poorly, though. Reese noted she still talks to Van Lith and has plenty of respect for how hard she works on her game.

“I think it just wasn’t a good fit for that specific team,” Reese said. “She’s an amazing guard that can do so many great things on the court. I’ve seen her kill for a long time, and I know she’ll continue to kill. And I see her gain her confidence back in the 3-on-3 [in the Olympics.]

“We still text. I still congratulate her. I’m so happy for her at TCU. I’m gonna try to support her there, as well. That’s somebody that really, really, really works hard, and that’s somebody, I really admire their work ethic. She works her ass off.”