LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith refutes commitment to TCU, still weighing options

LSU women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith did not actually commit to TCU, according to her statement to the Associated Press.

The former Louisville and Tigers’ star was expected to join the Horned Frogs backcourt out of the portal. However, that does not appear to be the case at the moment.

“I did take a visit to TCU and am very interested in them, but I took visits to other schools and was very interested in them, too,” Van Lith told The AP. “I haven’t made an official commitment, but I’m very close. The ink has not touched the paper for any school.”

Originally, it was reported Van Lith was set to play her final college basketball season at TCU.

At first, it looked like a great addition considering Van Lith would join a backcourt featuring Haley Cavinder. However, Cavinder opted to transfer back to Miami knowing her sister Hanna Cavinder returned to college basketball for the upcoming season.

“It’s a non-factor for me,” Van Lith said. “If she had stayed and I did go to TCU, I’d have loved to play with her.”

2024-25 will be Van Lith’s fifth and final college season after an action-packed career to date, when she makes a decision of course. She began her career at Louisville, spending three years with the Cardinals.

She averaged 11 points per game in her freshman season in 2021, when the Cards went 26-4 and advanced to the Elite Eight. In 2022, UL went 29-5 and made another Elite Eight, this time winning to advance to the Final Four where they lost to South Carolina. But Van Lith was the leading scorer on that group at just over 14 points a contest.

In 2023, Louisville struggled by their standings, losing 12 total games and finishing just fourth in the ACC. HVL still had a great year, though, carrying the offense with 19 points per game.

Of course, she chose to hit the transfer portal and joined up with the reigning national champions, LSU, for this past season. The Tigers were strong again, earning a 3-seed and making the Elite Eight with a rematch against Caitlin Clark and Iowa for a shot at the Final Four.

The Hawkeyes were the victors this time around and Van Lith did not give her best performance in the regional final game. However, she did have a decent season as the Tiger point guard, leading the team in assists with 3.6 per game while scoring 11 per contest.