For TCU standout Hailey Van Lith, securing an Olympics berth was never an impossible dream. In fact, it was something she always imagined since childhood. “I always saw myself as an Olympian. I would look up and I would watch Diana (Taurasi) and Sue (Bird) play, and I saw myself there,” she revealed in a recent press conference.

Sure enough, this was a “surreal moment” for her. But the path to making her dream come true was never easy. “I just had to be patient,” Van Lith added while giving up her secret sauce for accomplishing her dream. Read on to learn more about Hailey Van Lith’s impressive journey from her home court to the Olympics.

From family coaching to high school stardom: A journey to remember

The Washington native, unlike other players, has basketball in her blood. Her father, Corey Van Lith, played basketball at the University of Puget Sound. This inspired her to take up her father as her coach during her early years. Notably, she tirelessly played basketball four to five nights per week to attain perfection.

All this continued up to eighth grade when she played for the Blazers’ top team for the first time. The following year, she played for the Blazers at the Adidas National title, where she earned All-American honors. Can you imagine an Adidas All-American for a ninth-grader? But this was just the beginning.

In November 2016, Van Lith finally made her debut with Cashmere High School. Interestingly, she scored 14 points in her first game to claim a win over Ellensburg High School. Soon, she attained an average of 24.3 points per game in her freshman year. From Gatorade Player of the Year to AP Class 1A Player of the Year, she nailed it all. Though she wasn’t satisfied yet.

A deeper dive into Van Lith’s collegiate stats

In early 2018, she stunned everyone with a historic quadruple-double in the program’s history in a win over Chelan High School. This feat not only made her a high school basketball standout but also impressed the GOAT, Kobe Bryant. In fact, the Hall of Famer portrayed her as a role model for his lovely daughter Gianna.

Meanwhile, this opened up doors to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Los Angeles for Van Lith, where she found a close friend in Gianna. Soon, Van Lith entered her senior year and bettered her records to 32.6 points per game. By the end of 2020, the starting point guard inked an offer with Louisville.

Within one year of entering Louisville, Van Lith roared on the court by recording a season-high 24 points in a win over Wake Forest. After staying with Louisville for the next three years, she finally entered the transfer portal. According to ESPN, she was the top transfer across the nation in collegiate basketball.

She was drawn to reigning national champion LSU for their support and intensity as a team, but the relationship lasted for just over a year. Once again, Van Lith entered the transfer portal. This time, she opted for TCU for the 2024-25 season. You might be wondering why she’s on the 3×3 roster, but this is just a glimpse of her on-court excellence.

A value addition on Team USA 3 by 3 roster?

Alongside playing for collegiate and high school teams, she has been consistent on the Team USA roster. In fact, the five-foot-seven guard is a five-time International Basketball Federation gold medalist. Every time Van Lith enters the international basketball arena, she ensures she returns with a gold. That’s why she’s expected to be a key contributor for Team USA.

For her second Olympics, she’ll be joined by veteran Cierra Burdick and a pair of WNBA All-Stars, Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby. Notably, the fourth contender on the roster was supposed to be WNBA rookie Cameron Brink, but due to her ACL tear this June, she’s been replaced by Hamby.

Coming back to Van Lith, she’s averaging 6.3 points per game. Although this might not sound impressive, consider that 3×3 is played to 21 points. While shots inside the arc offer one point, outside the arc awards two points. Team USA is highly anticipated to return with a gold medal, but their upcoming game against Canada is going to be a must-watch on August 2.

Notably, Team Canada boasts a veteran roster that knocked out Team USA at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Cup. What do you think? Will Team USA be able to make the nation proud? Stay tuned to find out!

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.