Hailey Van Lith entered women’s college basketball with as much fanfare as Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers in the 2020 class. Now, she has resurfaced with a team full of veteran transfers at TCU that is on the way to a Sweet 16 after beating Van Lith’s former Louisville team on Saturday night. While back at the top of her game and a likely top pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, Van Lith is ready to lead the Horned Frogs on a deep run and is also using this moment to share her intense mental health journey with her followers and sports fans everywhere.
After her victory over Louisville, Van Lith opened up about the media scrutiny and social media attention she experienced as a McDonald’s All-American, revealing the significant challenges she faced early in college. “The way that I got exposed to the media and social media at such a young age, I really struggled with mental health things,” she said. “When I was younger and in college, I was suicidal, I was heavily medicated. And I felt trapped. And you would never know because I was having a ton of success on the court, but internally and in life in general, I was ready to be done.”
Hailey Van Lith talks about her mental health struggles throughout her college career, and how this year has been such a blessing for her.
Really powerful message worth watching from the TCU guard pic.twitter.com/AzNU4oLPQw
— Nick Girimonte (@GirimonteNicky) March 24, 2025
In addition to her elite talent as a teenager in Washington, Van Lith drew extra coverage and fan attention for being one of the athletes Kobe Bryant took under his wing before his passing in February 2020. She was also in a relationship with former Gonzaga star and NBA Draft pick Jalen Suggs. At Louisville, Van Lith helped revive the program, leading them to the Final Four in both her freshman and junior seasons. Following this, she teamed up with Angel Reese at LSU, but fell out of favor with head coach Kim Mulkey amid a challenging season.
Despite the setbacks throughout her fifth NCAA season, it seems Van Lith has worked through her struggles and is feeling better than ever. She aims to share more of her story so fans can find light during tough times. “To come from that to this, is incredible. I have been praying all year like, ‘God, I know you’ve given me this testimony to share with the world and shed your light,’” Van Lith expressed. “I believe this is the year and moment that he wants people to know my story and how he has taken me from the depths of wanting to die to this moment of loving life.”
A recent mock draft from Bleacher Report suggests Van Lith could be a top-10 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft. In the meantime, she is feeling rejuvenated and is focused on capturing an NCAA championship.
