Tag: Hailey Van Lith

LSU’s Hailey Van Lith to appear in Adidas March Madness commercial

Hailey Van Lith continues to expand her NIL profile.

LSU continues to find itself at the epicenter of NIL in college sports, and women’s basketball guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] has landed an exciting opportunity.

Van Lith, who is partnered with Adidas and is one of the first athletes the brand signed after the advent of NIL, will appear in its commercial for March Madness, which is set to “Under Pressure” by Queen.

“As athletes navigate high-stake sport moments throughout their careers, it can be difficult to cope with the weight of expectations. Our focus is helping these athletes re-capture the joy they have playing sports,” Adidas Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing Chris Murphy said, according to Sports Ilustrated.

“In partnership with Hailey Van Lith, we’re inspiring the next generation of athletes, and helping them get back to why they started playing sports in the first place – to have fun.”

Van Lith is a transfer addition from Louisville who has played a major role in LSU’s success this season, leading it back to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed.

“Throughout my journey with the sport, I never shied away from a challenge and that’s made me the competitor I am today,” Van Lith said. “Putting yourself in situations where you’re tested and proving that you can overcome internal or external pressure gives you confidence to play freely and lean into those competitive moments, like championship tournaments, with eagerness rather than fear. It’s critical to remind yourself that you’ve navigated pressure before and just focus on being the player and teammate you know you can be.”

LSU’s women’s basketball team has been the subject of quite a few big-time NIL deals, and you can add Van Lith’s commercial to that growing list.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Lip-readers think LSU’s Hailey Van Lith trolled Louisville (her former team) during Selection Sunday

Some internet sleuths think they uncovered what Hailey Van Lith said about her former team.

LSU is going to have a TIME playing the Albany 2 region. It’s pretty brutal. Still, that doesn’t mean they can’t poke fun at anybody else’s NCAA tournament matchups. Senior Guard Hailey Van Lith saw who her previous team, the Louisville Cardinals, was playing on Sunday, and lip-readers think they know what she said about Louisville’s upcoming journey.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

Hailey Van Lith is not afraid to express her feelings. At the beginning of the season, she told nearby cameras that “everybody gets free smoke.” So, it’s not shocking that the LSU transfer, who joined the Lady Tigers in the offseason after three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals, had thoughts about her former team’s NCAA tournament schedule.

As the Selection Sunday reveal happened, cameras caught Van Lith chatting it up with head coach Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese. Lip-readers think she was speaking about Lousiville’s first-round matchup with Middle Tennessee and told Mulkey and Reese, “Middle Tennessee is gonna whoop their [expletive.]”

(Warning: NSFW language.)

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

BREAKING: LSU women’s basketball earns a No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament, will host Rice in Round 1

The Tigers are on the three-seed line as they look to defend their national title.

The defending national champion LSU women’s basketball team has learned its draw for the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers will be the No. 3 seed in Albany Region 2, playing their first and (potentially) second games at home at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. They will open their run against the No. 14 Rice Owls. With a win, they would draw either No. 6 Louisville or No. 11 Middle Tennessee State.

That could pit [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] against the Cardinals, her former team, and it could set up an Elite Eight rematch of last year’s national title game against Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

Here’s a look at the full region of the bracket.

LSU’s game against Rice will be either on Friday or Saturday; specific days and times haven’t yet been announced.

UPDATE: LSU and Rice will play on Friday, though the time hasn’t been announced.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on X: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: LSU women’s basketball comes up short in rematch against South Carolina in SEC Tournament championship

In a game that featured some drama late, the Tigers didn’t have enough to knock off the unbeaten Gamecocks.

The LSU women’s basketball team was looking for revenge on Sunday after a loss to South Carolina on its home floor early this season, but the top-seeded, undefeated Gamecocks were too much for the Tigers.

They were overpowered in a 79-72 loss as South Carolina, the regular season league champs, added another tournament title to its repertoire.

LSU led for much of the first quarter, but it found itself trailing by three by its end. South Carolina looked to expand that lead in the second and did by as much as seven, but LSU fought back and cut its deficit to 36-32 heading into halftime.

It was a big half for [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag], who led the way for the Tigers with 11 points.

South Carolina opened the third quarter on a 10-1 run and stretched what was at that point a game-high 13-point lead. But LSU wouldn’t go away, cutting into that lead and chipping it down to six entering the fourth quarter.

LSU trimmed the lead down to one in the final frame, but it couldn’t recapture the lead.

The final quarter also featured an ugly moment. After an intentional foul from [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] led to some shoving, Gamecocks star Kamilla Cardoso shoved Johnson to the ground, leading to a bench-clearing brawl and the reported arrest of Johnson’s brother, who entered the court in response.

Every player who left the bench was ejected with 2:08 to play in addition to Cardoso, who will additionally be suspended for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

It wasn’t a banner day offensively for the Tigers, who shot just 37%. Morrow was the standout with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, while [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] had a double-double as well with 15 points and 13 rebounds while playing through pain.

[autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] scored 14, while Johnson finished with 13.

Now, the Tigers will await their NCAA Tournament next Sunday. They’re widely projected to be a No. 2 seed and would host the first two rounds in Baton Rouge if that’s the case.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU women’s basketball projected as No. 2 seed in ESPN bracketology update

Riding an eight game winning streak, LSU women’s basketball is improving its NCAA Tournament position.

[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and the LSU women’s basketball team have battled some adversity this season.

Of course, adversity is relative in this sense. For most programs, a 26-4 record is more than enough. But after a 25-0 start followed by a national title last year, the standard is different at LSU.

At points this year, Mulkey discussed those expectations, telling fans and the media not to panic. And now, as LSU prepares for the conference tournament, the Tigers are right where they want to be, projected as a No. 2 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology update. 

For the last two months or so, LSU had been sitting on the three or four-seed line. The Tigers’ record has remained one of the best in the country all year, but LSU didn’t have the strength of schedule it needed for a top-two seed.

Down the stretch, LSU’s continued to handle its business and win games while some other teams have slipped. LSU won eight straight to close out the regular season, improving its seeding position.

With a strong performance in the SEC tournament, LSU should hold there. It’s a much better spot than where LSU was at times this year. If the Tigers were a  No. 4 seed, they could have faced a No. 5 seed in the second round. Now, Mulkey’s group could get the benefit of a No. 7 or 10 seed in round two.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Instant Analysis: LSU women’s basketball breezes past Tennessee, wins sixth straight game

The Tigers’ hot streak continued thanks to a season-high in scoring from Hailey Van Lith.

Thanks in large part to a huge game from [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag], who finished with a season and game-high 26 points, the LSU women’s basketball game has now won six games in a row after a convincing 75-60 victory on the road against Tennessee.

The Tigers and Volunteers traded the lead in the first quarter, with LSU ultimately leading by three after the frame. But it stretched that lead in the second quarter and ultimately led 38-26 at the half.

However, after outscoring Tennessee 19-10 in the second quarter, the Vols outscored the Tigers by that same margin in the third. They cut the lead to just two at one point and only trailed by three entering the final period.

While Tennessee managed to cut the lead to just one at one point, it never led in the fourth quarter. LSU ultimately ended the game on an 18-5 run as it put things out of reach.

In addition to Van Lith’s big game, true freshman [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] scored 15 points. [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] only managed 11, but she recorded her 18th double-double of the season with 16 rebounds.

The Tigers only have two remaining games in the regular season. They will hit the road to face Georgia on Thursday before Kentucky comes to town for Senior Day in the regular season finale on Sunday.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Kim Mulkey praises defensive effort from LSU freshman Aalyah Del Rosario

Aalyah Del Rosario has played key minutes coming off the bench as a substitute for Angel Reese.

Entering the 2023-24 season, LSU had a number of star-studded additions to the roster.

Most of the talk centered around transfers [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag], as well as No. 1 recruit [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag]. However, one of the more unheralded additions has been another true freshman: [autotag]Aalyah Del Rosario[/autotag].

Mostly relegated to a bench role this season, Del Rosario has been an impactful substitution in her first season. In Monday’s win over Texas A&M, she played 12 minutes, totaling four points and two rebounds.

While that may not blow you away, she was especially impactful on the defensive end, recording three blocks and a steal.

Coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] praised her effort after the game.

“Aalyah, her stats are similar to S’Myah Smith and Nalyssa Smith’s freshman year stats,” Mulkey said. “That’s something a freshman coming off the bench needs to here, because it’s new for a lot of freshmen. You come in and you’re an All-American and you don’t realize how well they’re doing. There was a stretch there where she was blocking shots left and right. We’ll dwell on the three missed free throws, but she was a factor when Angel was subbed for.”

LSU will hope Del Rosario continues to develop and can be relied on for key minutes down the stretch as this team pushes toward the postseason.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Five takeaways from LSU women’s basketball’s win over Texas A&M

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s win over Texas A&M.

LSU took a trip to College Station to face Texas A&M on Monday night and came away with an emphatic 81-58 win.

The victory makes it four straight wins for [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and LSU after the Tigers lost back-to-back games for the first time since Mulkey’s first year.

LSU was a heavy favorite and took care of business. Mulkey’s group hasn’t been consistent all year, but they could be peaking at the right time.

After the win, LSU sits at 22-4 on the year with Auburn up next and just four regular season games left.

Here are five takeaways from the night.

LSU Women’s Basketball Bracketology: Can Tigers earn a top two seed?

Here’s what LSU needs to do to secure a top two seed.

March is around the corner and the college basketball regular season is winding down.

The LSU women have just five games left before the conference tournament. That means much of its resume is already decided. At 21-4, LSU remains in a good spot.

Current bracket projections have LSU seeded as a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. But that could change if LSU dominates down the stretch.

At this point, a No. 1 is likely out of reach, but a top-two seed is still in play if LSU catches some breaks. Here’s what LSU needs to do and how its resume stacks up against similar teams.

After a few adjustments, Kim Mulkey has LSU women’s basketball ready to peak at the right time

On Sunday, LSU women’s basketball showed improvements in all phases of the game, leading a 40-point win over Florida.

Coming off back to back losses, LSU women’s basketball found a way to right the ship against Florida on Sunday afternoon.

Kim Mulkey’s LSU squad isn’t used to dropping two in a row. It’s only happened twice now since her arrival in Baton Rouge.

Despite the 19-4 record, Mulkey’s expressed frustration at points this year. Her team hasn’t shown the same level of consistency it did last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

But on Sunday, LSU once again looked like a team ready to compete for a national title.

LSU held Florida to just 17.4% from three-point range. That was LSU’s best number in conference play all year, and second-best overall.

That was critical for a unit coming off its worst three-point defending performance of the year when it allowed Mississippi State to shoot over 52% from downtown.

In the prior loss to South Carolina, LSU struggled to rebound down the stretch. That improved on Sunday too, with LSU posting its second-best rebound rate in a conference game all year.

Following the game, Mulkey said there were a few things LSU had been focused on fixing.

“Half-court defense and helping each other and being aggressive. We focused on transition defense and we focused on transition offense,” Mulkey said, “And I thought we were better in all three today.”

Mulkey wanted to see more fight from her team. It’s something she harped on after the opening loss to Colorado when she said she’ll live with poor shooting, but what she won’t have is a team that doesn’t show grit and fight.

On Sunday, she said her proudest moment was when LSU was still diving for loose balls up 40 in the fourth quarter.

“When you can give that kind of effort in the fourth quarter, and not the first quarter, I think you’re getting your message through,” Mulkey said.

[autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] noticed it herself, too.

Van Lith said she played with a different aggression yesterday, and it showed up with Van Lith recording her highest rebound total of the year.

“It’s my job to bring it every game and I’ve accepted that responsibility,” Van Lith said.

Mulkey’s handled the guards and Van Lith a bit differently on Sunday. [autotag]Last-Tear Poa[/autotag] played 27 minutes, the most she has in any conference or NCAA Tournament game in her time at LSU.

With Poa in playing the point, it allowed Van Lith to play freely, giving LSU that boost in transition. That’s where Mulkey said games are won.

“I really believe when you break down this game, men or women, I think games are won foul line to foul line. Who runs the most and the fastest the greatest number of times through the course of the game usually wins,” Mulkey said.

Of course, LSU needs to show it can do this consistently and away from home. After the Mississippi State loss, Mulkey said they need to get stops when it matters and that wasn’t tested in a 106-66 win against a Florida team that is 2-6 in conference play.

But Mulkey is making adjustments and the schedule down the stretch is a little easier than what LSU’s faced over the last month. If LSU can keep this up, the Tigers could be ready to peak at the right time again.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.