Hailey Van Lith acknowledges TCU teammates’ “adversity and hardships” before historic Big 12 title season: “It really is inspiring”

Tournament MVP Hailey Van Lith delivered a clutch performance, scoring 20 points, including a crucial basket with 48.8 seconds remaining, to lead top-seeded TCU past No. 2 Baylor, 64-59, on Sunday at the T-Mobile Center. The victory secured the Horned Frogs’ first Big 12 Championship.

Following the game, Van Lith joined ESPN to discuss whether TCU is a legitimate title contender. She talked about the adversity her teammates faced before their historic season.

“I mean, 100%, we have made so much history this year, and our program has just really trailblazed,” Van Lith said (00:55).

“But to see what they came from last year, and just the, like, adversity and the hardship that some of my teammates that were on the team went through last year, and just to see them prevail and push through, it really is inspiring.”

This was TCU’s first Big 12 title game appearance, while Baylor, a conference powerhouse, boasts 16 appearances and 11 championships. Oklahoma, now in the SEC, ranks second with four titles.

Van Lith shared that the team’s collective mentality, shaped by past struggles, like injuries and open tryouts, fuels their current success.

“We all kind of have a chip on our shoulder in one way or another, everybody on this team, about something in their career or whatever it may be that they're just trying to come back from,” Van Lith said.

“And last year, for a lot of girls on my team, it was the injury season and the open tryouts, just crazy things that you never hear about happening. We all just kind of have a little attitude about us, and I think that's what makes us good now.”

Sedona Prince dominated with 12 points and 14 rebounds for No. 8 TCU (31-3), while Madison Conner and Donovyn Hunter chipped in 11 points each.

The team’s transformation has been remarkable under coach Mark Campbell, who took over after the Horned Frogs’ dismal 8-23 season (1-17 in Big 12 play) in 2022-23.

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TCU guard Hailey Van Lith postgame remarks went viral

Hailey Van Lith (10) handles the ball - Source: Imagn

TCU guard Hailey Van Lith has been a focal point of the 2024-25 NCAA women's basketball season. After a challenging year at LSU under Kim Mulkey, many wondered how she would adapt to the Big 12.

However, Van Lith has thrived at TCU, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors and leading the Horned Frogs to a top-10 national seed. Her impact was on full display Sunday as TCU edged Baylor to win the Big 12 Tournament championship. Following the victory, reflecting on her second-half mindset, she told ESPN:

"Listen, they were doubling me on every ball screen, they were face guarding me when I was off the ball, they didn’t want me to have the ball, that’s okay,” Van Lith said. “I made passes, and the time came to get shots off in the second half, and I took them.”

After a tough NCAA Tournament with LSU in 2024, Hailey Van Lith seized another transfer opportunity, committing to TCU on April 26, and that decision has paid off. She’s delivering the best numbers of her career, averaging 17.8 points on a career-high 45.6% shooting, along with 5.3 assists per game.

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