What brought Hailey Van Lith to tears after TCU’s win over Louisville? It wasn’t the game.
Postgame press conferences this season for TCU women’s basketball have often been joyous occasions with jokes from head coach Mark Campbell and witty banter between his star players.
There was plenty of that after the Horned Frogs defeated No. 7 seed Louisville 85-70 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23,, but the press conference was more emotional than usual as Hailey Van Lith shared a candid moment with the media after beating her former team.
Van Lith’s white No. 10 jersey was the most popular piece of clothing in Schollmaier Arena Sunday as many fans, from small children to Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs wore her jersey. When asked about what it meant to see so much support, the TCU star immediately burst into tears.
“It’s a blessing, I’m standing on God’s shoulders,” Van Lith said through the tears. “He’s delivered me from so much, man, and so much pain and suffering and confusion. All those people are wearing my jersey out there, but it’s for a greater purpose. It’s God working, man.”
On the surface Van Lith has had a near perfect college career. She’s experienced team success with five straight trips to the Sweet Sixteen with three different teams and a Final Four appearance with Louisville.
She had plenty of individual success before Fort Worth as she was a two-time All-ACC guard with the Cardinals. Her play on the court allowed her to build a huge social media presence with millions of followers across the various platforms.
She was one of superstars in women’s college basketball that was able to cash in on name, image and likeness as she became a household name.
It sounds like the perfect college experience right? Yet the external rewards weren’t enough to quell the raging battle Van Lith was dealing with internally.
“I got exposed to the media and social media at such a young age I really struggled with mental health,” Van Lith said. “When I was younger in college, I was suicidal, I was heavily medicated. I felt trapped and you would never know because I was having a ton of success on the court.
“But internally and in life in general, I was ready to be done.”
As it turns out, there’s a downside to all fame on social media. Fans have more access to players than ever now and it’s harder, almost impossible for players like Van Lith to ignore the noise.
Fans often think money and accolades are enough to make players immune to the things that are said online, but it’s not that simple especially for younger players coming up like Van Lith was at Louisville.
“That’s what I mean when I speak on suffering and pain,” Van Lith said. “I didn’t even want to live.”
Van Lith had to endure the darkness of her own thoughts for longer than most knew, but her faith and arrival in Fort Worth helped her eventually find the peace she was looking for.
That’s why this season with TCU has been so special. It’s not the first time Van Lith has been on a top-10 team or played with stars, but it may be the first time she’s actually played with boundless joy.
“To come from that to this is incredible,” Van Lith said. “I’ve been praying all year like ‘God, I know you’ve given me this testimony to share it with the world and share your light.
I think this is the year, this is the moment that he wants people to know my story and how he’s taken me literally from the depths of wanting to die to this moment of loving life. Even if basketball went away I would still want to be here and love these people.”
Van Lith has found her joy and her purpose for living while at TCU and that’s more important than any of the historic on the court achievements she’s accomplished as a Horned Frog.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 8:37 AM.
