BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Hailey Van Lith obtained a textual content from her dad hours earlier than TCU tipped off towards Texas within the Elite Eight of the ladies’s NCAA Match.
“The sun is going to rise tomorrow no matter if you win or lose,” the message learn. “So go out there and have fun.”
Van Lith performed for 3 faculties, scored 2,599 factors and have become the primary faculty basketball participant, girl or man, to succeed in the Elite Eight 5 instances and take three applications to an NCAA regional remaining. The 23-year-old from Wenatchee and a graduate of Cashmere Excessive College performed three seasons at Louisville and final yr at LSU, incomes the nickname “Miss March” for her omnipresence within the match.
Nothing concerning the journey has been simple, Van Lith mentioned whereas sitting subsequent to educate Mark Campbell and teammates Sedona Prince and Madison Conner.
“I’m sitting up here now with women that I love and a coach that I love and a team that I love,” Van Lith mentioned, “and we aren’t even sad about losing. We’re sad that we aren’t going to see each other probably next week. My journey has been crazy, I’m super grateful for it, wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Van Lith’s cheering part Monday night time included Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who wore her jersey backwards to show her identify throughout his chest.
Van Lith helped Louisville to a Ultimate 4 berth earlier than deciding to affix Angel Reese and four-time nationwide champion coach Kim Mulkey at LSU, which misplaced to Caitlin Clark and Iowa final yr within the Elite Eight.
TCU soared to new heights after including Van Lith, advancing previous the second spherical of March Insanity for the primary time.
The Horned Frogs (34-4) set information for victories and Massive 12 wins (16) whereas going 19-0 at house through the common season. Van Lith averaged 17.9 factors, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds, leaving a legacy in this system in only one season.
“I don’t know the criteria in regards to getting your jersey hung at TCU,” Campbell mentioned, “but I have a hard time believing that anybody in any sport in one year can have a greater impact than what Hailey Van Lith has had at TCU.”
Van Lith, one of the common gamers and prime identify, picture and likeness earners in girls’s basketball, opened up after TCU’s second-round win over Louisville about her struggles with psychological well being. She mentioned taking part in for TCU and her religion helped her overcome these obstacles.
“It was a lot of nights of being, like, ‘I feel like God has put this thing on my heart to be great, but it’s not working out right now,’ ” Van Lith mentioned. “A lot of times I had to look at myself in the mirror and just be like, ‘What do you want, Hailey? Who are you?’ ”
“I’m grateful for it,” she added. “I’m grateful for the fact that (God) gave me a hard journey because I would not be the woman I am sitting up here without it.”
