Hailey Van Lith transferred to the TCU Horned Frogs from LSU this season and has continued to display stellar performances on the court. The 23-year-old averaged 32.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.2 steals per game in her senior year at Cashmere High School in Cashmere, Washington, winning the 2019 AP All-Class Player of the Year.
Van Lith appeared in a reel posted by the famous basketball page "Overtime" on Friday, where the interviewer tested her memory about her high school stats. One of the questions the 5-foot-7 point guard was asked was about the number of points she scored in her first game.
"Was it 18?" Van Lith replied before the interviewer told her that the correct number was 14.
"Dang, my dad was probably mad after that," Van Lith said.
Furthermore, the interviewer also asked Hailey Van Lith questions, including the consecutive years she became the Division 1A Player of the Year.
"When was I in high school? Was it like 2019-2020?" asked the Wenatchee, Washington, native.
However, she was off by one year as she won the honor in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
One of the specific questions Van Lith was asked was about the day she made her high school debut. However, she was not far off, as she guessed Nov. 15, but the correct answer was Nov. 30.
While she is leading TCU currently, Hailey Van Lith was also a dominant force for Team USA. She won five gold medals in both 3x3 and 5-on-5 formats at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women's World Cup, 2021 FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup, 2019 FIBA 3x3 U-18 World Cup, 2018 Youth Olympic Games 3x3 and 2018 FIBA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Off the court, the TCU guard has endorsements from Invesco QQQ, Adidas, 94 Feet of Game App, Billionaire Girls Club, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Shaquille O’Neal Foundation and Sierato, putting her as the fifth highest NIL valued player with $779k, according to On3.
When Kobe Bryant watched Hailey Van Lith play
Van Lith has a positive impact on the upcoming generation of girls playing basketball. She was also mentoring LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's daughter Gigi, after which the five-time NBA champion promised to come see her game.
Bryant was true to his word as he traveled to Washington, surprising the audience present at the gym.
Hailey Van Lith has continued to show consistency in her game in college and will now be eligible for the 2025 WNBA draft.
Which team do you think we will see her play for in the WNBA? Have your say in the comments section below!