Angel Reese reacts to LSU star Hailey Van Lith transferring to TCU
One of the women’s basketball transfer portal’s top players makes it official.
Former LSU women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith is transferring to TCU, making the announcement official Friday with a special video reveal on social media. Van Lith was one of the Tigers’ key players this season after joining Kim Mulkey’s team from Louisville and paired up with Angel Reese in leading LSU to the Elite Eight, where the NCAA Tournament run ended against Iowa. Reese, the WNBA Draft’s seventh overall pick earlier this month, showed her support for Van Lith’s decision with a positive reaction to the move.
“Proud of you,” Reese wrote on X. “You know what to do & you know I’m always rocking with you.”
Many thought Van Lith could follow Reese and declare for the WNBA Draft, but 247Sports national college basketball analyst Brandon Clay warned her season in the SEC didn’t live up to prime billing. Van Lith let the draft deadline expire and decided to enter the portal instead.
“Her range is anywhere from the end of the second round to potentially being an undrafted free agent,” Clay said ahead of the deadline. “There’s no questioning her competitive nature, but moving to LSU has brought to light her struggles as a true point guard. Van Lith is hovering just below a 1.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. WNBA scouts would love to see this be a 2:1 ratio at worst. For all of the noise surrounding Van Lith’s production, she’s still averaging 11.7 points and 3.7 assists on a team playing in the Elite Eight (stats before the Elite Eight).”
Van Lith drew a tough assignment in her final game with LSU, guarding superstar Caitlin Clark throughout the Elite Eight matchup against Iowa. Clark finished the contest with an NCAA Tournament-record 41 points, and after Clark drained her fourth 3-pointer of the third quarter, Van Lith shrugged her shoulders as Mulkey looked down at the floor in disgust, her team unable to contain the best player in women’s basketball.
Van Lith’s best offensive production of the year came during the regular season. She delivered modest numbers during the NCAA Tournament, connecting on just 20.0% of her field goal attempts in the postseason.
As a veteran guard with experience at the highest level of college basketball, Van Lith drew significant interest from schools during her second stint in the transfer portal. She visited Mississippi State, but ultimately chose to spend her final season with the Horned Frogs. During the 2022-23 campaign, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game at Louisville.
