Hailey Van Lith’s LSU entry was seen Kim Mulkey’s move to build a star-studded squad to reclaim the ring. But following Bayou Barbie’s baffling absence from the startling lineup, Van Lith performed a different role than her usual play. While flipping her career figures, she became a new championship catalyst for the Lady Tigers.
The former Louisville Cardinals guard earlier stunned all when she decided to enter the transfer portal in April 2023 season. Van Lith had plied her trade for three years with her team but chose to go with the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers due to her proximity with head coach Kim Mulkey. Her ongoing NCAA performances only vindicate the contemplative coach’s mind games.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Colorado Buffaloes 78-92
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The LSU Lady Tigers didn’t particularly start off on a good note in their season opener against the Colorado Buffaloes. They fell short of Colorado’s finesse, amassing only 78 points in response to their 92.
Van Lith played for 37 minutes and potted 14 points with 7 assists. These stats show that Van Lith played more of an assist maker role than being the alpha. She helped her team set up layups, and also grabbed a solitary rebound for them during defense.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Queens Royals 112-55
The Lady Tigers came back stronger in their next outing against the Queens Royals, decimating them by a blowout margin of 112-55. Van Lith played for 21 minutes but could only pot 3 points with an equal number of assists and 2 rebounds.
It wasn’t particularly the best display by Van Lith but it can be attributed to the 22-year-old finding her rhythm in the team.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Mississippi Valley State Devilettes 109-47
The Lady Tiger clobbered up the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes by a humongous margin of 109-47. Van Lith didn’t do complete justification to her talent, besotting 11 points with 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
Though she was on court 28 minutes but her major work can be attributed to helping her teammates escape the defensive techniques of the opponents.
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Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Kent State Golden Flashes 109-79
The Louisiana State University Lady Tigers upended the Kent State Golden Flashes by an enormous margin of 109-79. Van Lith pocketed 15 points in the game with 2 rebounds and 5 assists.
This was the last time the LSU star Angel Reese played for her team in this season. Van Lith showed her dominance in the points creation role. Another important thing to note was that she completed 4 steals in the game with a solitary block and turnover.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Southeastern Louisiana Lions 73-50
The Lady Tigers pounced on the Louisiana Lions, defeating them with a 73-50 tally. Van Lith scored 12 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. She had a 5-for-8 field goal stat and a 66.7% three-pointer percentage.
Though, she was involved in 3 fouls, Van Lith covered them up with her immaculate ball-handling skills.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Texas Southern Tigers 106-47
The Kim Mulkey-coached team battled it out against the Texas Southern Tigers, cruising to a victory by an unassailable lead of 106-47. Van totted the game’s second-highest 16 points, grabbing 2 rebounds and 5 assists.
She had a 3-for-3 free throw tally and a decent 6-for-13 field goals. Other than that she also nabbed 2 steals against her rivals.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Niagara Purple Eagles 99-65
The Lady Tigers were a force to reckon with during their game against the Niagara Purple Eagles. They thrashed the Eagles by a huge score of 99-65. Van Lith smoked a game-high of 20 points with 2 rebounds and 7 assists.
The former Louisville player had a 7-for-14 field goal and a 5-for-6 free throw tally. She also performed 1 steal and 5 turnovers. With this game, Van Lith showed sparks of being a great scorer.
Louisiana State University Lady Tigers vs Virginia Cavaliers 76-73
The Lady Tigers went ahead of the Virginia Cavaliers by a narrow margin of 76-73. Van Lith had an injury scare in this match when she sprained her knee. The game was halted and Van Lith was taken off court.
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But she came back with 7 minutes left on the clock, dropping 12 points with 2 rebounds and 5 assists. She performed a singular steal and a decent 3-for-4 free throws.
Van Lith seems to be adjusting to her new team till now since her gameplay isn’t as good as her stats in the previous season. She has an average of 12.9 points whereas in 2022-23 she averaged a bedazzling 19.7 points.
Her rebounds have also decreased from 4.5 to 2.1, while her assists have increased from 3.2 to 5. Van Lith’s field goal percentage clocks more or less the same with 42.9%. Meanwhile, her free throw percentage has dropped from 87.4% to 72.7%.
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Going by the above stats, Van Lith has turned into more of a playmaker and is yet to come to her own in terms of smashing points.
