LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Prior to making her WNBA debut later this month, Hailey Van Lith has now officially made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut, with the 2025 edition now available everywhere on newsstands.
Van Lith first graced the cover as the April SI Swimsuit Digital Cover Star prior to making her her debut in the annual edition, which went on sale today. She played her first three years in college with the Cardinals prior to stints at LSU and TCU, and was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 11 overall pick of last month’s WNBA Draft.
The 5-7 guard was one of the most impactful players in all of women’s college basketball. She played an instrumental role in helping guide the Cards to the Final Four in 2022, with UofL making at least the Elite Eight in every one of Van Lith’s three years on campus.
As a junior during the 2022-23 season, she averaged a career-best 19.7 points, along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. She was tabbed as both a First-Team All-ACC selection and Associated Press All-American honorable mention as a result.
But in a stunning move, Van Lith opted to enter the transfer portal following her junior campaign. She later committed to LSU, who at the time were the defending national champions.
But as a result of joining an already star-studded roster, the 2023-24 season was a down season for her. That year, she put up 11.6 points per game – her lowest since her true freshman campaign – on top of 3.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds. The Tigers did not repeat as champs, getting eliminated by Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight.
The Wenatchee, Wash. native entered the transfer portal again last offseason, later committing to play her final year at TCU. It was a bounce-back season for her, as she averaged 17.9 points, a career-high 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. Not only was she voted as the Big 12 Player of the Year, she also earned Third-Team AP All-American honors.
Over the course of her five-year career, Van Lith totaled 2,616 points, 698 rebounds, 579 assists and 222 steals. Her 172 career games played (all of which are starts) and 5,692 career minutes played are both Division I women’s college basketball all-time records.
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(Photo of Hailey Van Lith via Sports Illustrated)
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