Louisville Guard Hailey Van Lith Enters Transfer Portal

The junior guard was an All-American and 1,000-point scorer for the Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Yet another member of the Louisville women's basketball program is deciding to continue their collegiate career elsewhere, and this time it's their star player.

Hailey Van Lith, an All-American guard and 1,000-point scorer who helped lead the Cardinals to a Final Four appearance in 2022, has entered her name into the transfer portal, the program announced Saturday.

"We thank Hailey for her contributions to this program, this school and this community," head coach Jeff Walz said in a statement. "She has done everything we have asked of her over the past three years, and we wish her the very best in her final collegiate season and beyond."

Van Lith is the fifth Cardinal to enter the portal during this academic year. Sophomore guard Payton Verhulst did so midway through the 2022-23 season back in early December, freshman guards Jalyn Brown and Zyanna Walker both did so right before the NCAA Tournament, then freshman forward Imani Lester went portaling last week.

"It’s been an honor over the last three years to have had the opportunity to pour my passion and heart into Louisville," Van Lith said in an Instagram post. "This city has impacted my life in so many ways and helped shape me into the person I am today. The Louisville community has given to me selflessly. I will never forget your unwavering support.

"I look back at my time in Louisville with nothing but joy and gratitude. The following photos show memories that will always live in my mind. This community will always be a part of my family and I’m forever grateful for my time here."

The 5-7 junior has been one of most impactful players not only for Louisville during her three years with the program, but in all of women's college basketball. She departs the Cardinals with 1,553 career points, the seventh-most in Division 1 amongst active non-seniors and 12th-most in program history.

Van Lith is coming off a career year, one where she averaged a career-best 19.7 points and 3.2 assists while starting 37 games, along with 4.5 rebounds per game. Her 729 total points scored during the 2022-23 season was good for fifth-best in program history, with the scoring average ranking eighth in a single season. She was tabbed as both a First-Team All-ACC selection and Associated Press All-American honorable mention, as well as a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

Some of Van Lith's best work came during the postseason. The Wenatchee, Wash. native averaged 18.1 points in 13 career NCAA Tournament games, scoring 20 or more points in eight of Louisville's nine NCAA Tournament games played over the last two seasons. Her 235 career points scored in the NCAA Tournament is good for fourth-most in Louisville history.

Walz and his staff are having to undergo a massive roster overhaul heading into next season. On top of the five portal defections, the program is graduating six seniors in Mykasa Robinson, Chrislyn Carr, Morgan Jones, Liz Dixon, Josie Williams and Norika Konno. Currently, Louisville is in line to have just four returners.

With no commitments in their 2023 high school recruiting class, Louisville will have to replace all of their departing players with additions via the transfer portal. So far, the Cardinals have landed a pair of transfers for next season in former Georgia Tech guard Eylia Love and former Cal guard Jayda Curry.

Louisville went 26-12 overall for the 2022-23 season, experiencing their first double-digit loss season since their 2011-12 campaign. Despite having a "down year" by their typically lofty standards, the Cardinals saved their best basketball for the postseason. They made the ACC Championship game as a No. 4 seed, then clinched their fifth-straight appearance in the Elite Eight before falling to national runner-up Iowa in the NCAA Tournament

(Photo of Hailey Van Lith: Matt Cashore - USA TODAY Sports)

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