Everyone Had The Same Reaction To Hailey Van Lith’s New Team Photos With TCU

 

Hailey Van Lith (Photo via Hailey Van Lith/Instagram)
Last month, Hailey Van Lith was rumored to be taking her talents to TCU after she announced she was transferring from the LSU Tigers following a frustrating year.

There had been reports that Van Lith was headed to TCU, but she told the Associated Press that she hadn’t made a final decision yet.

 

 

The 5-foot-7 guard made things clear this week when she took to her Instagram and shared several photos of herself in a Horned Frogs uniform to confirm her commitment to TCU.

In the first photo, Van Lith is seen in TCU gear holding a basketball. In the second picture, she adds a sparkly basketball with TCU colors and a black cowboy hat.

In the third photo, she is bouncing the ball while pointing to the camera. In the last picture, Van Lith is seen with the basketball on her shoulder.

Here is how fans reacted to the pictures in her comments:

Van Lith, who joined LSU this past season and reached the Elite Eight with the defending national champion before a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa, will now get another chance at being the star guard that she was at Louisville and make one final statement before she heads to the WNBA in 2025.

Prior to choosing to join the LSU squad led by four-time champion coach Kim Mulkey, Hailey Van Lith played her first three seasons at Louisville, where she advanced to two Final Fours and one Elite Eight.

During her time with the Cardinals and Tigers, the guard averaged 14.5 points, four rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Before switching to point guard for Mulkey’s squad, she was primarily a wing player for Louisville.

Van Lith is joining a TCU team that was ranked in the AP Top 25 this season. However, the Horned Frogs had to postpone two games due to injury and hold open tryouts to increase the size of their roster.

Kim Mulkey Responded To Hailey Van Lith Transferring After One Season With LSU

Hailey Van Lith (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Kim Mulkey has no issues with touted offseason acquisition Hailey Van Lith’s decision to transfer after just one season with LSU.

“Her aspirations were to get drafted this year, and she realized, ‘I need another year and I need to go back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position,” Mulkey said at a team banquet, according to Nola.com. “And what do you do? You hug her, and you wish her well.”

Van Lith’s output decreased when she moved from an off-ball position with Louisville to the point guard position with the Tigers.

After averaging 15.4 points on 13.2 shots per game with the Cardinals, Van Lith tallied just 11.6 points on 9.9 shots per game with the Tigers.

Caitlin Clark’s Soaring Stardom Shoots Up WNBA Ticket Prices

Caitlin Clark (Image Source: Getty Images)
The Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has a large fan base, leading to increased fan engagement with the WNBA. As a result, ticket prices for games have surged due to Clark’s popularity. According to recent reports by Tickpick, a sports ticket-buying platform, the cheapest ticket sold for Game 1 of last year’s WNBA Finals in Las Vegas was $47. However, this season, the cheapest ticket for tonight’s Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever game is $120. Ticket sales for tonight’s game are triple those of last year’s Game 1.

Clark is attracting more WNBA fans due to her popularity, as Los Angeles star player LeBron James mentioned during a recent episode of JJ Redick’s ‘Mind the Game’ podcast.

 

Indiana Fever Back to Losing Ways After a Rare Win

The Indiana Fever could not mount a spectacular comeback against the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday. Clark, who joined the elite group after achieving 50+ points and 15+ assists in three games, could only contribute 8 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in her 29 minutes of gameplay.

The Fever won their first game of the season against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, returning from an 11-point deficit. On Saturday in Las Vegas, Indiana was down substantially against the defending two-time champion Aces; nevertheless, the Fever could not recover. A’ja Wilson, Aces forward, led the Aces to a 99-80 victory over the Fever, scoring 29 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and dishing out two assists. The Aces improved to 3-1 on the season, while the Fever fell to 1-6.