$772,000 NIL-valued Hailey Van Lith makes 5-figure donation to local basketball team in collab with multi-billion dollar pizza giants

Hailey Van Lith is playing her fifth year in college basketball with the TCU Horned Frogs and she decided to support a local Texas girl's basketball team. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the $772,000 NIL-valued (per On3) guard revealed that she was donating $10,000 to the team.

She made a surprise visit to a Pizza Hut store in Plano, Texas, to share the news with the players. The fast-food chain is owned by YUM! Brands, which is worth $41.06 billion (per Forbes). Van Lith posted the video on her account with the caption:

"I had the honor of surprising the amazing girls’ basketball team from the Top Achievers program with a $10,000 donation at the brand-new Pizza Hut location on Ohio Drive in Plano, TX. The updated design of this location is top tier and smiles on all the girls’ faces was priceless 🤍."

Hailey Van Lith is having one of her better seasons at TCU this year after the disastrous senior year with the LSU Tigers. The guard is averaging 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks. The summer at the Paris Olympics last year was the turning point for Van Lith as she won bronze representing Team USA in the 3x3 women's basketball.

Hailey Van Lith earns special honor on prestigious awards list

Thanks to her impressive performances with the Horned Frogs, Hailey Van Lith has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award. She was also shortlisted for the mid-season watchlist for the Wooden Award along with Paige Bueckers.

Earlier in January, Van Lith was named USA Basketball’s 3x3 Female Athlete of the Year for her exploits in scoring at the Olympics. Despite many predictions to join the WNBA last year, HVL waited it out and the additional season is working tremendously for her.

“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 about her decision to stay.

“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.”

The Horned Frogs are 24-3 this season and have four more games left to play before post season begins.