Hailey Van Lith has been circling Louisville ever since she left the Cardinals as a graduate transfer two seasons ago.
On Selection Sunday last season, LSU and Louisville were not only placed in the same region, but assigned the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds, setting them up for a collision course in the second round. Under head coach Jeff Walz, the Cardinals had never lost a first-round game (14-0), all but assuring a matchup between Van Lith and her former school.
Middle Tennessee faces Louisville (Van Lith’s old team) in the 1st round 👀 pic.twitter.com/FwEFzplSuB
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) March 20, 2024
Instead, Middle Tennessee upset the Cardinals in the opening game. But the anticipated matchup wasn’t denied but merely delayed. Van Lith, now at TCU, and Louisville were once again placed in the same pod in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. After the No. 2 seed Horned Frogs beat No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson and the Cardinals held off Nebraska in a thriller, the 23-year-old senior guard is set to face off against Louisville for the first time. Since her departure.
Women’s NCAA Tournament Round of 32: (2) TCU vs. (7) Louisville
Hailey Van Lith will face her old team 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Xdj79SaCP5
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 22, 2025
Louisville: 2020-2023
Van Lith…
