Women's Fastbreak On SI

Fans Predict Hailey Van Lith's 2025 WNBA Draft Future After Huge TCU Debut

Fans are already looking toward Hailey Van Lith's WNBA future after an excellent first game with TCU on Tuesday.

Grant Young

Oct 22, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith (10) talks to media during Big 12 Women’s Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Oct 22, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith (10) talks to media during Big 12 Women’s Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

One of the more underrated storylines heading into the 2024-25 women's college basketball season was how Hailey Van Lith would fare.

Van Lith transferred to TCU after one season playing for Kim Mulkey at LSU. Before that, Van Lith spent the first three seasons of her collegiate career at Louisville.

The 23-year-old experienced some statistical regression at LSU, averaging 11.6 points per game after averaging 19.7 points per game one season before at Louisville.

Although most fans now remember her LSU tenure due to her inability to contain Iowa Hawkeyes icon Caitlin Clark during the Elite Eight round of the 2024 NCAA tournament, who finished the game with 41 points.

Given these struggles, many fans were curious about how Van Lith's college career would end this season, and whether she'd be able to re-find her former elite form.

And it didn't take her long to answer that question.

Van Lith finished her TCU debut (which was a 78-41 win over Houston Baptist) with 21 points, 7 assists, 6 steals, and 5 rebounds.

After this massive performance, Fans are asserting that Van Lith should be considered a top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

"Top 2 WNBA draft pick 2025," one X user wrote.

Another fan added, "Whichever @wnba team drafts @haileyvanlith or @sedonaprince_ will be in for a treat. I hope my @atlantadream snags them both 😚😚😚".

"Top 5 in the draft this year," wrote a third.

For what it's worth, Van Lith — who earned a bronze medal for the Team USA 3x3 women's basketball team at the Paris Olympics — isn't projected to be taken in the first round in the 2025 WNBA Draft right now.

But that could change with an excellent 2024-25 campaign.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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