LSU women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith reportedly enters transfer portal
It looked like Hailey Van Lith was coming back to Baton Rouge on Thursday morning.
After Wednesday night’s deadline to enter the 2024 WNBA draft came and went without an announcement from Van Lith, she appeared likely to return for another season in Baton Rouge. But Thursday afternoon, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Van Lith has instead opted to enter the transfer portal.
A transfer addition last offseason from Louisville, the Wenatchee, Washington, native was a two-time First Team All-SEC selection with the Cardinals. Her addition was expected to lead the Tigers to a repeat as national champions this season.
LSU women’s basketball star guard Hailey Van Lith has entered the transfer portal, @247Sports has learned pic.twitter.com/FUoOZ2Suvl
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) April 4, 2024
But her time with the Tigers had its ups and downs. She moved to point guard this season, and the result was an unsurprising drop in production. After averaging 19.7 points at Louisville last season, that number dropped to 11.6 this year.
She also saw her minutes decrease with the emergence of Last-Tear Poa down the stretch, though she started all 33 games she appeared in this season.
In the Elite Eight loss to Iowa, Van Lith scored nine points but shot just 2 of 10 from the field. She also drew Caitlin Clark, who scored 21 points, on defense for most of the game and had her fair share of struggles.
A fourth-year junior, she had the option to join Angel Reese in the WNBA draft or return to school. She has chosen the latter, though it seems she will not be playing for the Tigers.
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