Hailey Van Lith is no stranger to the transfer portal and the way it can shape a women’s college basketball roster.
The left-handed guard first tested it out in the summer of 2023 when she switched allegiances from Louisville to LSU and helped the Tigers to the Elite Eight before falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
Van Lith went right back in the portal, and instead of joining another proven powerhouse, she chose to take her talents to Texas Christian University to play for the TCU Horned Frogs.
The move has paid off, for Van Lith and the school. TCU won its Big 12 Tournament semifinal on Saturday night over West Virginia to improve to 30-3 this season, the most wins in a season in program history.
The transfer trend to TCU was started before the 2023-24 season when 6-foot-7 Sedona Prince transferred from Oregon to play for new head coach Mark Campbell, who had been a Ducks assistant.
Before this winter, Campbell picked up six more transfers, led by Van Lith, and their impact has been program-changing.
“We love this game so much, and at this time of the year, if you lose, you might not get to step on the court again,” Van Lith said on Saturday’s broadcast postgame. “… Just don’t take the opportunity for granted, and just go out and compete.”
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