What Hailey Van Lith's dad texted her before TCU's loss to Texas in Elite Eight
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In the grand finale of Hailey Van Lith’s five-season college career, it wasn’t hard to spot her dad in the crowd. As if following her movements on the court, he was standing up to spin around, high-five, scream and run down the arena stairs with his hands in the air.
“He’s the chef behind my game and how I play,” TCU star guard’s said.
Before No. 2 seed TCU and Van Lith stepped on the court to play No. 1 Texas in the Elite Eight on Monday, Corey Van Lith sent his daughter a text: “The sun is going to rise tomorrow, no matter if we win or lose, so go out there and have fun.”
“That's a lot of growth for him,” she said after the Horned Frogs fell 58-47 to the Longhorns. “That's a lot of growth for me to accept that text from him.”
Buy women's Final Four tickets
Van Lith’s dad was the only person to coach her in basketball before she went to college. He played baseball and basketball at the University of Puget Sound in Seattle.
“I look to him a lot for guidance because he’s my biggest coach,” Van Lith said. “So when I feel like I’m struggling, I’m trying to find my dad, like, ‘Give me something.’”
During her very last free throws as a Horned Frog, he nodded at her from the stands.
“I always told her, ‘Compete for 40 minutes, and you live with what plays out,’” her dad told Paste BN Sports after the game. “She did everything she could.”
Van Lith scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Texas, playing in all 40 minutes of the matchup.
After starting her college career at Louisville and playing 101 games through three seasons, Van Lith transferred to LSU in 2023. After her only season at LSU ended, she reached out to TCU head coach Mark Campbell, whom she had known for nearly a decade.
“Mark was what she needed,” her dad said.
Van Lith led TCU to its longest postseason run in program history. She averaged 18 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the NCAA Tournament. Through it all, her dad was jumping, face-palming and clapping in the crowd.
“He’s 100% the reason why I am who I am,” Van Lith said of her dad. “I definitely feel his energy, and I know that he’s waiting out there to just congratulate me and give me a hug.”
Olivia Noni is a student in the University of Georgia's Sports Media Certificate program.