HAILEY VAN LITH: FROM BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS TO HISTORY—TCU’S NEW LEGEND
Birmingham, Alabama
With sweat dripping and blood on her knee, Hailey Van Lith raised her fists in triumph. TCU had done it. The Sweet 16 battle against Notre Dame was over, but her journey was far from finished.
Van Lith delivered a breathtaking 26-point, nine-rebound performance to power TCU to a historic 71-62 victory, securing the program’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance. As if that weren’t enough, she shattered TCU’s single-season scoring record (663 points) and set a new NCAA Tournament benchmark for the school. When it mattered most, she single-handedly outscored Notre Dame 12-10 in the final quarter.
“I was going to play my heart out just to get another day of practice with these girls,” Van Lith said, embodying the grit that has defined her career.
From Louisville to LSU to TCU, Van Lith’s basketball odyssey has been nothing short of cinematic. Her fifth Elite Eight appearance across three different schools makes her the first player—man or woman—to achieve this feat.
Going into the matchup, she wasn’t chasing records—just the love of the game. “I wasn’t putting pressure on myself to win. I just wanted to go out there, have fun, and play with the joy that God gave me,” she said.
The game had its defining moment with 3:29 left in the third quarter. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo charged for a layup, but Van Lith wasn’t having it. She stood her ground, swatted the shot, locked eyes with Hidalgo, and only then, with a mix of swagger and composure, delivered the outlet pass.
“Hailey’s a dog,” said TCU senior Madison Conner. “Offense, defense, it doesn’t matter. She’ll do anything to win.”
Even Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey couldn’t ignore Van Lith’s takeover. “You could see her confidence building, play by play. This is the stage where great players emerge, and she had a complete game.”
Now, TCU sets its sights on No. 1 seed Texas in the Elite Eight. The stakes? Higher than ever. The legend of Hailey Van Lith? Still being written.
