Tag: Hailey Van Lith

LSU women’s basketball top-100 signee Jada Richard arrives on campus

The Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year has officially arrived in Baton Rouge.

LSU women’s basketball will have a lot of new faces on the roster in 2024-25, and one of those pieces arrived on campus in Baton Rouge on Sunday.

[autotag]Jada Richard[/autotag], a four-star prospect and top-100 recruit in ESPN’s women’s basketball high school rankings, officially moved in and is set to join the Tigers as they seek to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Richard, who hails from Lafayette Christian Academy, was named the Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year in March. She committed to the Tigers in April of 2023 and signed her national letter of intent with the program last November.

After losing [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] to the WNBA draft and [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] to the transfer portal, the Tigers added a transfer class featuring four experienced guards.

Richard, a 5-foot-6 point guard, will try to find her place in an absolutely loaded LSU backcourt.

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LSU women’s basketball in the top 10 of On3’s post-spring rankings

Despite their losses, the Tigers have a promising roster once again in 2024-25.

The LSU women’s basketball team is set for some major losses after its Elite Eight run in 2023-24.

The leader of the team, forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], has moved on as she was the seventh overall pick in the WNBA draft. The Tigers also lost another starter in point guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag], who opted to enter the transfer portal and is now at TCU.

But the cupboard isn’t bare. LSU returns star [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and promising second-year player [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] along with another large portal class of experienced players.

On3’s Talia Goodman recently ranked the top 25 teams in the country after spring, and the Tigers remain in the top 10, coming in at No. 7.

LSU brought in another major portal haul, but that didn’t quite jive the way the Tigers hoped it would last season. Hopefully, this loaded group of Shayeann Day-Wilson (Miami), Kailyn Gilbert (Arizona), Jersey Wolfenbarger (Arkansas) and Mjracle Sheppard (Mississippi State) will adjust to their roles. The Tigers may struggle following the departures of Angel Reese (WNBA) and Hailey van Lith (portal) but the transfers they landed should help ease that transition.

LSU still returns a group of high-level talent in Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams. The Tigers are primed for success yet again but need to make sure the team chemistry is strong among newcomers.

Last season didn’t quite pan out how many expected for LSU, but this still looks like a team that could be poised for a deep run once again in 2024-25.

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Former LSU women’s basketball guard Angelica Velez commits to Syracuse

Angelica Velez has found her new home in the transfer portal.

A former LSU women’s basketball guard has announced her transfer destination.

On Sunday morning, [autotag]Angelica Velez[/autotag] announced on social media that she has committed to continue her career at Syracuse. A true freshman this past season from the Bronx, Velez appeared in 23 games coming off the bench and totaled 111 minutes while averaging 1.2 points with 13 total assists and rebounds.

Though she likely would have seen a much more significant role next season after the departure of [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] in the transfer portal, she opted to do the same and now joins a Syracuse team that finished last season 24-8 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

LSU has done a lot of work rebuilding the backcourt this offseason, adding a trio of experienced guard transfers in [autotag]Kailyn Gilbert[/autotag], [autotag]Shayeanne Day-Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mjracle Shepphard[/autotag]. It also signed the top player in Louisiana in guard [autotag]Jada Richard[/autotag].

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Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith collaborate for NIL deal

Flau’Jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith are no longer teammates on the court, but they’re still working together in the NIL field.

[autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’jae Johnson[/autotag] are no longer teammates on the court, but they’re still working together in the NIL field.

Van Lith and Johnson collaborated on an NIL deal with Apple Cash. A commercial made for social media shows the two having a conversation with Johnson poking fun at Van Lith’s baking.

These two have been at the forefront of NIL in women’s college basketball so seeing them strike a deal with a major company like Apple is no surprise. According to On3, Johnson has the 14th-best NIL valuation in college sports at 1.2 million. With some stars moving on to the WNBA, that makes her the top name in women’s basketball.

Johnson is one of two LSU athletes in the top 20, joined by [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag].

Van Lith, who recently transferred to TCU, sits 70th per On3’s NIL 100.

Johnson and Van Lith made an Elite Eight run together at LSU last year before falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

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Hailey Van Lith joins seasoned pros on FIBA 3×3 roster ahead of Paris

The teams were composed of players various levels, including the WNBA, NCAA and Athletes Unlimited.

If you are a phenomenal player, it doesn’t matter if you are still in college or a seasoned professional player. USA Basketball was represented by two teams at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series opener with players from the WNBA, NCAA, Athletes Unlimited and the international level.

After winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the United States is looking to repeat in Paris. Team USA consisted of Hailey Van Lith, Cierra Burdick, Lexie Hull and Rhyne Howard. The other roster, Team Springfield, boasted Allisha Gray, Cameron Brink, Dearica Hamby and Linnae Harper.

Team USA took second to Canada in the final at the Springfield stop of the series, falling short, 20-18. The teams competing in the series consisted of athletes from Canada, France, Germany and Puerto Rico.

The 3×3 game is a bit different than the 5×5 full-court basketball. For example, 3×3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious. If neither team reaches 21 before time expires, the team with the most points wins.

“I just like how free-flowing it is; there’s a lot of room for error,” Brink said. “If you mess up, you just have to move on to the next possession immediately.”

The FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series “offers women a chance to play 3×3 at the highest competitive level regularly, representing a unique opportunity to bring new countries and players into the limelight and to recognize the best and upcoming players in the industry.” The event culminates in a 3×3 World Cup and then the Olympic Games in Paris.

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LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith refutes reports that she has committed to TCU

Hailey Van Lith told the Associated Press that she has not committed to any program, though she is “close.”

[autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] opted to move on from LSU women’s basketball after one season, and when reports surfaced last week that Van Lith had committed to TCU, it seemed her recruitment was at an end.

However, the saga has taken another twist. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Van Lith has not committed to TCU or any other program for that matter.

Though she said she’s “close” to a decision in a statement to the news outlet, Van Lith reiterated that she has not signed.

“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 said. “I haven’t made an official commitment, but I’m very close. The ink has not touched the paper for any school.”

A highly anticipated transfer addition last offseason from Louisville, Van Lith moved to the point guard role this year at LSU and saw a dip in production, though she still averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists.

Tigers coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said Van Lith was looking to play her final season with a team that would allow her to play her more natural position at the two.

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Former LSU point guard Hailey Van Lith commits to TCU

Hailey Van Lith is heading to the Big 12.

After one season in Baton Rouge, former LSU women’s basketball point guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] will finish out her collegiate career at TCU.

Van Lith committed to the Horned Frogs as a fifth-year transfer on Thursday, as was first reported by Talia Goodman of The Next. Van Lith came to LSU after an All-ACC season at Louisville, but she saw her production drop after moving from the two to the one spot.

She averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists this season, and she opted to enter the transfer portal after the Tigers’ Elite Eight loss to Iowa rather than join [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Van Lith recently visited conference foe Mississippi State, but she’s instead heading to the Big 12. The Horned Frogs went 21-12 last season in the first campaign under coach Mark Campbell and reached the second round of the WBIT.

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Hailey Van Lith’s transfer to TCU immediately makes the Horned Frogs a must-watch team in women’s hoops

Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Madison Conner – all on the same team.

A lot of eyes were already going to be on TCU’s women’s basketball team next season.

The Horned Frogs’ first campaign under head coach Mark Campbell was an eventful one this past year as TCU went 13-0 and was ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for five weeks before the season was derailed by a three-game losing streak that also saw key players like Sedona Prince get injured. In fact, so many TCU players suffered ailments that the team had to forfeit two games – purely because the lack of able bodies – and then had to hold tryouts for walk-ons. Arizona transfer Madison Conner had a strong year, Prince eventually returned, and TCU won 20 games for the first time in four seasons.

So, a lot of folks were ready to see the encore with the roster as it was.

And now, joining Conner in that backcourt is Hailey Van Lith, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

The addition of Van Lith makes TCU a team that we absolutely have to pay attention to in the 2024-25 season.

While Van Lith’s struggles at LSU this past season were well-documented as she tried to turn herself into a pass-first player playing alongside Flau’Jae Johnson and talented posts in Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow, we shouldn’t forget all that she’s accomplished in her career. Consider that, in each of Van Lith’s four college seasons, she’s been to at least the Elite Eight in every one, and helped Louisville reach the Final Four as a sophomore in 2022. Van Lith has played in 17 NCAA Tournament games, averaging 15.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists across those contests.

And she’s joining a TCU squad that looks stacked, on paper anyways.

Conner was on the Arizona team that went to the national title game in 2021 and was second in the nation in 3-pointers made this past season with 3.7 per game. Prince, while battling that injury, averaged 19.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while finishing fifth in the nation in blocked shots.

A lot of folks will also be watching this TCU team because of, well, the content!

The two star players here – Van Lith and Prince (with all due respect to Conner) – have massive followings on social media. Just look at these follower numbers:

  • Van Lith: 1.1 million on Instagram, 372,000 on TikTok
  • Prince: 172,000 on Instagram, 2.7 million on TikTok

Expect the posts to flow out of Forth Worth the same way that 3-pointers do this upcoming season.

LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith reportedly visited conference rival over the weekend

LSU may not have seen the last of Hailey Van Lith.

Former LSU point guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] opted to enter the transfer portal after just one season in Baton Rouge. The former All-ACC player at Louisville is back on the market after her production dipped in 2023-24 with a position change.

Van Lith is one of the top available players in the transfer portal, and she could be eying a move to a conference rival. Van Lith was in Starkville over the weekend to take a Saturday visit to Mississippi State, as was first reported by Talia Goodman of The Next.

Van Lith will be a fifth-year senior entering her final season of eligibility with her new team.

Van Lith moved from the shooting guard spot to the point guard position this season, and it resulted in her scoring average dropping from 19.7 to 11.6. Coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] recently said Van Lith chose to transfer in order to finish out her career playing her more natural position at the two.

It remains to be seen how much of an impact that visit with the Bulldogs had, but it’s possible LSU hasn’t seen the last of Van Lith.

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LSU freshman PG Angelica Velez enters transfer portal

Angelica Velez saw action in 23 games, playing 111 minutes and averaging 1.2 points.

LSU women’s basketball has seen another transfer portal departure, this time freshman point guard [autotag]Angelica Velez[/autotag]. Talia Goodman of The Next Hoops was the first to report Velez’s decision on Monday.

A native of The Bronx, New York, who played her high school basketball in Tennessee, Velez was a four-star prospect and top-25 player nationally coming out of high school.

However, she only saw sporadic action on a deep LSU team as a true freshman. She played in 23 games, totaling just 111 minutes while averaging 1.2 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists.

Her best performance came in a 133-44 win over McNeese, in which she scored a season-high 10 points.

Velez joins fellow point guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] as the second Tiger to enter the transfer portal since a loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight.

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