BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – She’s been unleashed.
TCU star guard Hailey Van Lith, that is.
Horned Frogs head coach Mark Campbell, who has known Van Lith since she was 15 years old and was in charge of trying to recruit her out of high school when he was an assistant coach at Oregon, said he has long known “how talented she was as a playmaker.”
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But why did she pick TCU? When Van Lith, a Washington native, decided to join the Horned Frogs, they were a team with not only a losing record but also so few players that it had to forfeit games in the 2023-24 season, Campbell’s first with the team.
Van Lith’s answer lies within her relationship with Campbell.
“From the first time I talked to him, it was just like a revival of someone breathing life into me,” said Van Lith, who transferred to TCU from LSU after starting her college career at Louisville. “That whole year (at LSU), I just felt like people were taking it from me.”
This is Van Lith’s first and only season at TCU because she is out of eligibility. She willed the No. 2 seed Horned Frogs to a Sweet 16 victory Saturday against No. 3 Notre Dame with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists through 39 minutes. The No. 2 Horned Frogs plays No. 1 Texas in the Elite Eight on Monday.
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“The kid’s competitive spirit, DNA and the heart that’s inside her chest is unmatched,” Campbell said after the game.
When Van Lith entered the transfer portal in 2023 after three years at Louisville, Campbell was coaching at Sacramento State. Campbell knew he didn’t have a shot at getting Van Lith, but decided to reach out to be a resource for navigating the portal.
“Sometimes it wasn’t even always me,” Van Lith said. “He would reach out to my parents and be like, ‘I’m so happy for Hailey.’”
She didn’t forget this the second time she decided to transfer.
“His genuineness and his authenticity really showed,” Van Lith said. “I 100% think it went a long way for me in recruitment.”
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When the portal opened, Van Lith told her dad she wanted to talk to Campbell. “You sure?” he asked, pointing out the team had just held open tryouts after forfeiting games because of injuries.
She was sure.
Now known as “Miss March,” Van Lith has led the Horned Frogs to the best season in program history. She averages 17.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists — and exhibits immeasurable audacity.
She’s been unleashed.
Popi Márquez and Olivia Noni are students in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did Hailey Van Lith transfer to TCU? Her coach played a long game
