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South Carolina women's basketball must figure out how to defend Hailey Van Lith

On3 imageby:Chris Wellbaum•04/01/22•

ChrisWellbaum

On3 image
Destanni Henderson (Photo by Katie Dugan)

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Point guard Hailey Van Lith has been the start of Lousiville’s run to the Final Four, and slowing her down will be the defensive key for South Carolina.

Van Lith set a school record by topping 20 points in four consecutive tournament games. That may not be the most impressive statistic on its own, but when you consider that Louisville greats like Angel McCoughtry and Asia Durr never accomplished it, the feat takes on extra meaning.

Van Lith stands just 5-7, but she is strong and can play through contact when she drives to the rim. She also has a fiery personality that not only makes for entertaining interviews but makes her tough to contain on the court.

But Van Lith has never faced a defense like South Carolina’s. The Gamecocks can throw different looks at Van Lith. There is quickness and strength with point guard Destanni Henderson, speed with Zia Cooke, length with Brea Beal, LeLe Grissett, Bree Hall, or Saniya Rivers, and then the shot-blocking of Aliyah Boston, Victaria Saxton, and Kamilla Cardoso protecting the rim.

“I think the emphasis is that whether they do double me, whether they blitz me, whether I get shots or not, whether I’m 0 for 10 in the first half, I’m going to rebound and I’m going to do everything I can on the defensive end to compete,” Van Lith said. “It is going to be an elite guard matchup, but I think it’s going to be who’s the mentally toughest to fight through the fact that these are both elite defenses and not get in their feelings about what’s happening on the offensive end.”

Henderson isn’t known as a defender, but she has proven her worth on that side of the ball. Her seven steals against Stanford sparked an 18-point comeback, and her ability to control tempo puts opponents off balance. That trait reminds Dawn Staley of herself.

“Her ability to play fast, to shoot the ball, to single-handedly apply pressure to our opposing point guards,” Staley said. “Our demeanors are probably very similar in that we’re poised. We’re poised during times in which you can get your nerves out of whack.”

Henderson’s biggest advantage might be the help she gets from teammates. Boston obviously blocks shots and can shut down pick and rolls, but Beal is the lockdown defender. Beal might start on Kianna Smith, but she will likely match up against Van Lith too. For a player who was inexplicably left off the SEC All-defense team, it will be another showcase for Beal’s talent on the defensive end.

“It’s just something I fell into and it was just something I became great at and then it became natural,” Beal said. “It’s not anyone I look up to or anything or I look after. It’s just a skill that I didn’t know I had in high school, and I just became great at it, I guess.”

Whether it’s enough to finally slow down Van Lith, only time will tell.

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