Former LSU guard Hailey Van Lith has officially revealed her transfer portal destination after a three week stint in the free agent market.
Van Lith is headed to the Big 12 where she will join a TCU Horned Frogs program that is quickly piecing together a competitive roster.
There were reports over a week ago that Van Lith would join the program, but she shut down rumors stating that she hadn't put pen to paper just yet.
"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 last week. "I haven't made an official commitment, but I'm very close. The ink has not touched the paper for any school."
Now, the ink has dried and Van Lith has made her announcement. She will head to TCU for her final season of eligibility.
The former Louisville star, who took America by storm with her elite-level scoring ability, hit the market once again after transferring to LSU a season ago.
After a disappointing lone season in Baton Rouge, the former All-America honorable mention became a coveted name on the market for her final season of eligibility. Van Lith will exercise her COVID year after already playing four seasons of college ball.
A prominent figure in the NIL space, Van Lith is the face of the Adidas women's basketball campaign, and will certainly draw attention to TCU.
She decided not to enter the WNBA Draft while electing to remain in college. A player who believes she has the intangibles to succeed at the next level, she looked for a program that will allow her to be her on the floor and boost her draft stock once again.
“You have to kind of look at what type of player you are,” Van Lith said. “There’s some people that have to capitalize in college because they’re not a pro-type player. Their likability is going to stay in college. And I think for me, that’s not the case. I’m a pro-type player. The deals will follow, like Angel said. The one downfall is visibility. And the amount of times we play on ESPN and ABC and all these major television channels, that becomes a lot less when you go to the WNBA where it’s at right now. You’re not going to be in the media as much, but from a brand aspect, as long as you do what you need to do and keep up that part of your life, then brands, they’re going to follow you when you go to the league.”
The decision to transfer to TCU comes as a surprise to many after she took an official visit to Mississippi State two weeks ago.
Van Lith linked up with former Louisville assistant Sam Purcell, who is now the current head coach of the Bulldogs.
The former LSU guard went up to Starkville to check out the campus, attend a softball game and more, a source told LSU Country.
Now, Van Lith has decided to take her talents elsewhere after reports surfaced of her decision to transfer to TCU.
Van Lith will have an opportunity to boost her WNBA draft stock next season as she looks to get back to her old form as a high-level scorer in the college game.
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