Hailey Van Lith of Louisville basketball enters NCAA transfer portal
Hailey Van Lith’s time at Louisville has ended.
The junior guard is entering the transfer portal after three stellar seasons with the Cardinals.
“We thank Hailey for her contributions to this program, this school and this community,” U of L coach Jeff Walz said. “She has done everything we have asked of her over the past three years, and we wish her the very best in her final collegiate season and beyond.”
The star guard’s final game as a Cardinal took place in her home state of Washington but ended with a 97-83 Elite Eight defeat at the hands of Iowa on March 26 in Seattle. Van Lith, who will graduate with a finance degree in May, led U of L with 27 points, three assists and two rebounds in the loss. She and Hawkeyes junior guard Caitlin Clark were the only two Power Five conference players to average at least 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game this season.
Van Lith scored 1,553 points in three seasons with the Cardinals (26-12) and averaged 15.4 points, 2.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.
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Van Lith came to U of L in 2020 as the No. 7 prospect in the nation per espnW HoopGurlz and No. 2 according to Prospect Nation. She was drawn to the Cardinals’ culture.
“They just had this dog persona,” Van Lith said in January. “And that’s what I think is inside me. I related to that team that I watched. They were tough and they were competitive.”
Upon her arrival at Louisville, Van Lith earned a starting spot on the Cardinals’ squad immediately, playing alongside Dana Evans in the backcourt as U of L made the first of Van Lith’s three appearances in the Elite Eight, losing to Stanford. Van Lith, who had seven points and three rebounds in that game, earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors after averaging 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the season.
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Van Lith developed into Louisville’s leading scorer the next season — she averaged 14.4 points, including a career-high 34 points against Clemson — and was named the NCAA Tournament Wichita Region Most Outstanding Player, leading the Cardinals to the Final Four, where they lost to South Carolina.
This season, she averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Van Lith guided the Cards through a rocky regular season before making a run to the ACC Tournament championship game and a third Elite Eight in March. She found an extra gear in March Madness, averaging 23.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists during the NCAA Tournament.
Hailey Van Lith capitalizes on NIL during Louisville basketball career
Van Lith became the first Louisville athlete to have her jersey for sale and used her platform at Louisville to garner name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and partnerships with companies like Adidas, Dick’s Sporting…
Read More: Hailey Van Lith of Louisville basketball enters NCAA transfer portal 2023-04-08 13:16:47