Many expected LSU guard Hailey Van Lith to declare for the WNBA draft as she told Coach Kim Mulkey that she’ll play one season for the Lady Tigers after transferring in from Louisville.
Van Lith is holding to that pledge, but she is not turning pro. Instead, Van Lith is entering the transfer portal. The Washington native will look to play her final season of eligibility at another school.
Van Lith averaged nearly 20 points per game in her final season at Louisville. But one of the reasons she chose LSU was to learn the point guard position from Mulkey, a former point guard herself.
It was an up and down season for Van Lith, who took on a lot of criticism from the public when the team would lose or had a bunch turnovers.
It prompted Mulkey at one point in the season to stop with the criticism of Van Lith, who finished the season by averaging 12 points a game. She also shot a collegiate career low 38% from the field.
During the NCAA Tournament, Van Lith came to the defense of Angel Reese, who emotionally discussed the hate she received on social media. Van Lith also said racism fueled a Los Angeles Times column that called the Lady Tigers villains and dirty debutantes.
