Erica Wheeler issues 3-word reaction as Hailey Van Lith's heroics send TCU to first Sweet 16

The beauty of sports is it gives athletes a shot at redemption or revenge.

That has been the case with Hailey Van Lith this season. She drew plenty of criticism for her disappointing performances in last year's NCAA Tournament with LSU.

When she transferred to TCU, some predicted she wouldn't be able to return to the tournament. However, Van Lith has led the Horned Frogs (33-3, 16-2 Big 12) to their first-ever Sweet 16.

WNBA star Erica Wheeler tipped her hat to Van Lith. On Threads, following No. 2-seeded TCU's big win over No. 7-seeded Louisville (22-11, 13-5 ACC) on Sunday, Wheeler praised her for her toughness.

"Van Lith toughhhhhhh!!" Wheeler wrote.

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Van Lith put her team on her shoulders to take down the Cardinals 85-70. She started her collegiate career with Louisville before transferring to LSU and she didn't allow her former program to end her season.

She played all 40 minutes and finished the game with 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. The Horned Frogs will face Hannah Hidalgo and the No. 3-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish (28-5, 16-2 ACC) in a must-watch clash on Saturday.

Hailey Van Lith knew TCU was destined for great things

Hailey Van Lith is the epitome of the modern college athlete. She has played for three programs and has excelled in each of them, despite not yet winning a national championship.

Doing so at TCU seemed unlikely when she announced her decision to join the program. However, she believed the team could do something special.

“A lot of people may think I’m crazy, but I always knew what was coming for this team. I expected this type of outcome,” Van Lith said on Sunday, via The Athletic. “The intricate details, how it unfolded were not necessarily my idea of it, but the bigger picture of what we have been able to accomplish and do, I always knew that this was waiting for us.”

Van Lith and the Horned Frogs still have a long road to get to the top and it would be a dream ending to a rollercoaster of a college basketball career before turning pro.