Slamming Hailey Van Lith in Elite Eight, How Did Caitlin Clark’s Antics Affect Their Friendship

The U19 2019 Women’s FIBA World Cup was special. It marked the USA’s unbeaten 7-0 run. They defeated Germany, Canada and Belgium to advance to the Finals. In the Finals they locked horns with Australia and edged past them by a narrow margin of 74-70. The two players who propelled this dream run would later square off as rivals and become news due to court antics. 

But while the America made history by winning the gold medal at FIBA, the players would later carve a place for themselves in the hearts of basketball fans. The squad had names like Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Hailey Van Lith. While they collectively took the college basketball circuit by storm, some fared as frenemies.

The Sweet Beginnings

Amid such fierce competition and future superstars playing with each other in the same team arose a friendship made of fire and ice, of compassion and kindness that made headlines in the years to come – the unbreakable bond of Caitlin Clark and Hailey Van Lith.

The two were roommates and had shared celebratory moments with together, and knew each other quite well. The duo had respect for their game and often cheered one another during their tough times.

Interestingly, it was not only them who had a futuristic bond, but another of their closest associate head coach Jeff Walz would be with them when they tasted success at the college level. Walz is the head coach at the Louisville which is Van Lith’s former team.

The hands of the clock winded and took a drastic turn when both Van Lith and Clark were to play during the Elite Eight tournament in the 2022-23 NCAA women’s basketball championship. However, the peculiar reality was that Clark and Van Lith were pitted against each other this time. 

While Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Louisville Cardinals had one of their best guards in Van Lith. After a fierce competition, the Hawkeyes eventually trumped the Cardinals with a respectable margin of 97-83. Additionally, there was another incident that created a lot of buzz.

Read More: With Kansas Stumbling Out, Can Purdue Maintain Number 1 NCAA Status?

Clark did the John Cena’s ‘You can’t see me’ gesture that according to the fans was directed towards Van Lith. It was an incident that for a lot of fans drew dark clouds on their close bond. There was a lot of ruckus on social media with supporters of each player battling it out against each other on the networking sites.

The Sourness was Nowhere to Seen

But Van Lith did not let it affect their friendship. As per the Louisville star the gesture was an inside joke between Clark and conditioning coach, Lindsay Alexander. Van Lith did not even see the antic being directed towards her and only got to know about it once the game was over. She even divulged how she had a great laugh with Clark discussing the incident after the contest.

“It was actually hilarious because right after the game I texted her and was like ‘The media is dumb,'” Van Lith said. “‘They just make stuff up.’ … We were laughing about it.”

“Caitlin Clark did not do this to me,” Van Lith said while waving her hand in front of her face. “And if she did, that would’ve been hilarious.”

The trust between the two is strong and that is what builds a close bond. The duo also showered each other with a lot of praises for their playing style. While Clark heaped accolades on Van Lith for her competitive spirit, Van Lith recollected their strong bond.

“I really admire that passion, the competitive spirit, the fire that she plays with. You know a lot of people should play with that and that’s what makes her team go. When she’s firing, she’s competitive, she plays with that emotion because she wants to win. It’s not because she is cocky, coz she is not. She had that confidence in herself and I can understand that just as good as anybody.” Clark said.

“Caitlin is a great person off the court, really funny, great sense of humor. I have supported her through her college career and she’s supported me through mine. She’s gotten better every year. She’s gotten better since I played with her on Team USA. So she’s a great player and great person,” Van Lith revealed.

Watch This Story: Sending Shockwaves in The Basketball World, Know 18YO MiLaysia Fulwiley’s Story

With Van Lith transferring to the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers, the two can once again square off this season, and it would be an exciting clash for all their fans.