TCU women’s basketball head coach Mark Campbell has big plans for newly acquired star Hailey Van Lith - and Angel Reese seemingly can’t wait to see her former teammate suit up for the Horned Frogs.
Back in April, Van Lith sent shockwaves across the NCAA women’s basketball landscape after entering the transfer portal on the heels of a disappointing season at LSU . The 23-year-old eventually found a home at TCU, where she’ll spend her final season of collegiate eligibility.
Addressing the offseason addition of Van Lith, Campbell told reporters: "Hailey has had a very accomplished basketball career. I'm so excited, and we're very fortunate to get her in her fifth year of college basketball.
“Coach [Dixon] talked about fifth-year kids; the old ones are valuable. You've got to be old to win. Hailey brings a lot of experience with her."
Van Lith first burst onto the national scene at Louisville , where she helped propel the Cardinals to three consecutive Elite Eight berths - including a Final Four appearance in 2022. On the heels of her junior campaign, the guard opted to take her talents to LSU and play under decorated head coach Kim Mulkey .
While playing for the Tigers, Van Lith struggled to carve out a sizable role for herself on an LSU roster overflowing with WNBA talent. She subsequently failed to replicate the same success from the two prior seasons, averaging 11.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds over 33 games.
Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news
"She didn't quite find the right fit at LSU," Campbell conceded. "It was just one of those situations where things didn't fully click."
Following an eventful offseason in which Van Lith represented Team USA in the 3x3 women's basketball event at the Paris Olympics , Campbell expressed confidence that she’ll be able to return to her dominant form this year. "She's raised the bar," he said.
"Her work ethic is unmatched. It's inspiring for both the players and coaching staff. It pushes us to ensure we fully tap into her potential while we have the chance to coach her."
READ MORE: Angel Reese urged to follow in Caitlin Clark's footsteps amid off-court debate
READ MORE: Sabrina Ionescu's damning assessment of New York Liberty corrected for Minnesota Lynx win
In order to get the most out of Van Lith, Campbell plans on deploying her in several different roles - similar to how she was utilized at Louisville. "We're going to use her as a true combo guard," he added. "Hailey can play the one, she can play the two, but Hailey is just an attacking, dynamic, playmaking guard. She's not pigeonholed into one position."
"Hailey needs freedom, she needs space, and when she has those things she can put the ball in the hole at a high level and create for your team at a high level. So we're going to make sure she gets to do those things. We want to play fast in transition, she's hard to contain. So hopefully, we unleash Hailey, but she'll be used at the one and the two for us."
Reese, for one, is excited to see Van Lith take off. Taking to Instagram, the Chicago Sky forward commented, "She's backkkkkk" under her ex-teammates’ post showcasing her preseason pictures.
Local News
Comments / 0