Behind The Scenes: How LSU WBB Landed Hailey Van Lith

Kim Mulkey and the Tigers secured the No. 1 transfer in the portal, elite-level guard in Van Lith.

Kim Mulkey and the reigning National Champion LSU Tigers added the No. 1 transfer during the offseason in former Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith.

A superstar both on and off the court, Van Lith adds a new element to Mulkey’s program as this group reloads for the 2023-24 season.

For Van Lith, Baton Rouge provided a new opportunity with the chance to compete for a title, something she’s been looking to achieve for years.

The process of getting down South is unique, but the electrifying guard now has an opportunity to join a star-studded roster led by Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey as the purple and gold begin their quest at another ring.

How did Van Lith make her way to Louisiana? What went down behind the scenes in LSU’s favor?

Entering the Portal: Non-Contact Transfer

Van Lith entered the NCAA Transfer Portal as a non-contact transfer, meaning she could reach out to programs, but they couldn’t reach out to her. A coveted prospect, she had her list of schools in mind with Mulkey and Co. sitting at the top.

For the LSU coaching staff, they heard rumors that Van Lith could enter the portal, but didn’t believe it until it officially happened.

“You always hear rumblings, you hear that all the time,” LSU assistant coach Gary Redus told LSU Country. “We had heard things about her just like we had heard things about other kids that are still at their schools, so we don't really pay any attention to it.”

But then one day it became official and it sent shockwaves across the college basketball scene. A prized player, the decision took many by surprise.

“One random day, I remember I was sitting in my son's room, and in the staff group chat someone said Hailey was in the portal,” Redus said. “She was in there as a non-contact and my phone started blowing up. Everybody was asking if she was coming to LSU, people were speculating about where she was going. So we all were just kind of sitting around and just trying to figure out exactly what it was.”

The Mulkey - Van Lith Connection

Coming out of high school, Mulkey recruited Van Lith to Baylor, and the two developed an immediate connection. The comparisons between the two are uncanny and it’s even taken people within the program by surprise.

Ultimately, Van Lith chose Louisville over Baylor during her recruiting process, but some things are just meant to be. For Mulkey, it was to earn the opportunity to coach Van Lith.

Once in the portal, there were a few boxes that needed to be checked before choosing her next destination. Van Lith wanted to win. She wanted to hit that next gear from a player development perspective. It was a match made in heaven in Baton Rouge.

“There were certain things, from talking to her during that short recruiting process, that she was looking for. Of course, winning was one of them. We weren't the only school she talked to. She talked to a couple others, but I think that what she was looking for we just kind of offered," Redus said. 

Van Lith talked to LSU, South Carolina and Stanford, among others, during her transfer portal process. It was a unique recruitment that even took people within the LSU program by surprise. What specifically? A random visit to campus.

Hailey came to compete 😤@haileyvanlith | #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/rRT0aDABUV

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) September 12, 2023

The Official Visit Down South

Van Lith plays by her own rules. She knows what she brings to the table, and entering as a non-contact transfer, it gave her the ability to control each step in her transfer portal process.

When it came down to it, there was an itch that LSU had the lead in her recruitment, but the program felt left in the dark in a way. There were moments of intense communication and there were moments where they felt it could go another direction. 

Ultimately a surprise visit to Baton Rouge changed the trajectory of her process with LSU knocking it out of the park. The Mulkey connection shined through.

[Van Lith] decided out of nowhere to come on a visit. We didn't even know she was coming on a visit. She was like, ‘Hey, I'm gonna come up’ and we were like, okay, so we set it up really quick,” Redus said. “It was a good visit, I think she saw the things she needed to see. I think she heard the things she needed to hear. She wanted to continue to push her player development forward. She wanted to be pushed. She wanted to get taken out of her comfort zone that she had found at her previous school and she wanted to win. She wanted to contend for a championship and she felt like she could do that here. Ultimately she decided to come to LSU."

The Decision

Van Lith is an icon on the hardwood, but she’s also a superstar off the court. The aforementioned “plays by her rules” meaning came up in a big way during her decision timeline.

A special relationship with Mulkey, Van Lith dragged out her decision in a way that only the Hall of Famer would understand.

“We thought that we had her but then she went missing for a couple days. She dragged it out. Her and Coach Mulkey have that kind of relationship where they do that thing with each other. That's like her long lost daughter because they're just alike and have that competitive back and forth with each other. So I think that's why she dragged it out.”

Decision day was one that this coaching staff will remember for quite some time. It’s rare to get a 20 point per game scorer overnight but that’s precisely what happened for the reigning National Champions.

“I remember we were out recruiting, and she called and committed, but she kept it kind of quiet. The day that she had announced, we knew she was announcing that day, so we thought that she was announcing at one time,” Redus said. “She didn't announce at that time, and then she ended up announcing a couple hours later. So those were the longest probably two hours ever.”

A process that included Van Lith entering as a non-contact, reaching out to Coach Mulkey, taking a surprise visit and following it with a delayed announcement resulted in LSU ultimately securing the No. 1 prospect in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

For Mulkey and her staff, they wouldn’t have had it any other way. Van Lith is a competitive, passionate hooper that mimics Mulkey in a variety of ways.

The Workhorse Mentality

The dedication of Van Lith has opened the eyes of people within the LSU Women’s Basketball program. No water breaks. No missed days, All gas, no brakes. Van Lith gives it her all and it’s what has allowed her to get to this point in her career.

“I’ve never seen a kid work as hard as Hailey. She’s a workhorse. She squeezes every fiber of talent out of herself because of how hard she works. I've never seen a kid workout for an hour, hour and a half and never need a water break. If you ask her if she needs a water break, or if you ask her if she needs a quick blow, she looks at you like you're crazy.”

“She just wants to keep going, but that's who she is. She works out every single day. She may take one day off a week sometimes to just try to slow herself down, but it's crazy.”

LSU’s star-studded roster attains the likes of Van Lith, All-Americans Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow, and SEC Freshman of the Year Flau’Jae Johnson. Not to mention two Top 10 players in the 2023 class in Mikaylah Wiliams and Aalyah Del Rosario looking to make an immediate impact.

The “Superteam Down South” has all the makings of running the table once again, and with Mulkey at the helm, the LSU program is building something special for the long haul.