Hailey Van Lith is a professional basketball player from the United States, currently playing for the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She previously played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, LSU Tigers, and TCU Horned Frogs.
Hailey Van Lith was born on September 9, 2001, in Wenatchee, Washington, United Statas. She was raised playing basketball with the mentorship of her father, who had her practice four to five evenings each week.
During her time at Cashmere High School in Cashmere, Washington, Hailey Van Lith was recognized as one of the top recruits in her class, earning the title of McDonald’s All-American and finishing her high school career as the all-time leading scorer in state history. She spent her first three college seasons at Louisville, where she received first-team All-ACC honors on two occasions and helped lead the Cardinals to the Final Four during her sophomore year in 2022. Following her junior season, she transferred to LSU and subsequently moved to TCU for her fifth season. Hailey Van Lith was honored as the Big 12 Player of the Year and played a pivotal role in leading TCU to its inaugural Big 12 titles in both the regular season and the conference tournament. In the 2025 WNBA draft, she was selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th overall pick.
At the youth international level, Hailey Van Lith has secured two gold medals with the United States. In the realm of 3×3 basketball, she has represented the senior national team and is a gold medalist from the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, as well as a bronze medalist from the 2024 Summer Olympics. Additionally, she was awarded the title of most valuable player (MVP) at the 2019 FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Cup, where she led her team to a gold medal.
Hailey Van Lith served as the starting point guard for Louisville during her freshman year. On November 25, 2020, she made her collegiate debut, scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a 74–53 victory over Southeast Missouri State. On March 5, 2021, during the ACC tournament quarterfinals, Hailey Van Lith achieved a season-high of 24 points, along with five rebounds and four steals, leading to a 65–53 win against Wake Forest. Following her performance, she was selected for the All-ACC tournament first team, contributing to the Cardinals’ runner-up finish. Throughout her freshman season, Van Lith averaged 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, earning a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team. She played a pivotal role in helping Louisville secure the ACC regular season title and advance to the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA tournament.
In her sophomore year, Hailey Van Lith took on a more significant role following the departure of Dana Evans. She began her season on November 12, 2021, scoring 19 points in a narrow overtime loss to Arizona, 61–59. On December 19, she contributed 16 points to lead Louisville to a 69–64 victory over UConn at the Women’s Hall of Fame Showcase. On February 3, 2022, Hailey Van Lith set a career-high by scoring 34 points in a 93–71 win against Clemson, shooting 6-of-6 from three-point range, marking the highest number of three-pointers made without a miss in the program’s history. Hailey Van Lith guided Louisville to the Final Four of the 2022 NCAA tournament, achieving four consecutive games with 20 or more points, and was named the most outstanding player of the Wichita Regional. As a sophomore, she averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, receiving first-team All-ACC honors.
Hailey Van Lith’s responsibilities grew during her junior season. In her opening game of the season, on November 7, 2022, she achieved 28 points in an 87–68 victory against Cincinnati. On January 12, Van Lith recorded a season-high of 29 points in an 81–79 defeat to Virginia Tech. During the quarterfinals of the 2023 ACC tournament on March 3, she scored 26 points, with 17 of those in the first quarter, leading to a 74–48 triumph over Wake Forest. Hailey Van Lith guided Louisville to a runner-up finish in the ACC tournament and received a spot on the all-tournament first team. In the 2023 NCAA tournament, she delivered four consecutive 20-point performances, propelling her team to the Elite Eight, where she tallied 27 points in a 97–83 loss to the two-seed Iowa. Throughout her junior year, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. She was recognized as a first-team All-ACC player for the second consecutive season and received All-America honorable mention from the Associated Press, the United States Basketball Writers Association, and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. After her junior season, Hailey Van Lith entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer on April 8, with ESPN ranking her as the top transfer in the country.
On April 27, 2023, Hailey Van Lith declared her intention to transfer to the reigning national champion LSU. She was attracted to the university’s commitment to the women’s basketball program and the team’s competitive spirit, having established a rapport with head coach Kim Mulkey since her high school days. The team commenced the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. On November 6, 2023, Hailey Van Lith made her LSU debut, achieving 14 points and seven assists in a 92–78 defeat against AP No. 20 Colorado. On February 25, 2024, she recorded a season-high of 26 points in a 75–60 victory over Tennessee. Throughout her senior year, Hailey Van Lith averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists per game, contributing to her team’s advancement to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA tournament. Analysts noted a decline in her scoring output and efficiency compared to her earlier seasons. On April 4, 2024, she entered the transfer portal for the second time.
On April 27, 2024, Hailey Van Lith announced her transfer to TCU for the 2024–25 season. On February 2, 2025, she achieved a season-high of 28 points, along with eight assists and five rebounds, in an 82–69 victory over Iowa State. Hailey Van Lith led TCU to its inaugural Big 12 Conference regular season championship. She was honored as the conference’s Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, making history as the first player to receive both accolades in the same season. Van Lith played a pivotal role in securing her team’s first Big 12 tournament title, where she was named Most Outstanding Player after scoring 20 points in a 64–59 triumph over Baylor in the final.
Hailey Van Lith represented the United States at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup held in Belarus, where she secured a gold medal. During the tournament, she averaged five points and two assists over 13.6 minutes per game. At the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Thailand, Hailey Van Lith improved her performance, averaging 9.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, contributing to the United States’ gold medal victory. In the final match, she scored 16 points and made the crucial game-tying basket in regulation, aiding her team in overcoming Australia with a score of 74–70 in overtime.
In the realm of 3×3 basketball, Hailey Van Lith achieved a gold medal with the United States at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Argentina. She further led her team to another gold medal at the 2019 FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Cup in Mongolia, where she was honored as the MVP.
Competing with the senior national 3×3 team, Hailey Van Lith participated in the 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Belgium, guiding the United States to the quarterfinals. At the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Austria, she played a pivotal role in securing the gold medal, recording seven points and six rebounds in a 16–12 victory against France in the final. Additionally, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, she earned a bronze medal in the 3×3 tournament and was selected for the Team of the Tournament.
Hailey Van Lith photos
