Hailey Van Lith continues to put TCU basketball on the map. Recently, the Horned Frogs star guard was on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition of their magazine.
It seems to be rather fitting, considering put the Texas school on the map during the NCAA tournament. After Van Lith helped TCU women's basketball to their first Elite Eight, they were stopped by the Texas Longhorns.
However, Van Lith herself had a memorable tournament. Most notably, in the Sweet 16, she posted 26 points, nine rebounds, and four assists against Notre Dame.
Mind you, this was with Hannah Hildalgo and Olivia Miles draped over her all game. Regardless, it went to show her fiery ability and another instance of lifting a program. In her three programs, Van Lith has helped each of them make it to the Elite Eight.
Now, she's making her presence known off the court. After all, Van Lith opened up about her mental health struggles. She's been one of the most vocal athletes about her mental health, as well as her faith.
She's been a jack of all trades that WNBA teams should be taking a closer look at.
Hailey Van Lith's Swimsuit debut shows confidence to young women
Article Continues BelowWhen Van Lith was with LSU, that confidence and swagger went missing. After not meshing with head coach Kim Mulkey's style, and a brutal Elite Eight loss to Iowa, she was ruthlessly attacked on social media.
As a result, her draft stock plummeted, but so did her mental health. Following that tumultuous season, she made her final transfer to TCU women's basketball, and was led by head coach Mark Campbell.
Throughout the season, the Horned Frogs were at the top of the Big 12. She even took home Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Considering it was her only time in Fort Worth, she made the most of it.
Overall, Van Lith's story thus far is one of great ascension, a descension, and then another ascension. She's set to be taken late in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
If she is selected by a team, she'll continue to have the chip on her shoulder. If a team embraces her, like how TCU did, she can be her true self.
The SI swimsuit shoot she had seems to be an amalgamation of Van Lith finding that confidence once again. Plus, it likely won't be the last time anyone sees the 3×3 Gold Medalist in the spot light.