Hailey Van Lith transfer: Why former LSU guard is joining TCU as Haley Cavinder flips to Miami

Former LSU point guard Hailey Van Lith is on the move again.

After entering the transfer portal following a rocky season in Baton Rouge, Van Lith is reportedly headed to TCU to give herself a fresh start and bolster the Horned Frogs' backcourt.

Van Lith was one of the nation's most impressive scorers in her junior season at Louisville, averaging 19.7 points per game. She teamed up with Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson at LSU in 2023, aiming to help the Tigers win a second consecutive national championship. But Van Lith didn't enjoy the same success in a less prominent role for the Tigers.

With one season of eligibility remaining, Van Lith decided to a new opportunity after LSU was eliminated in the Elite Eight. She made the decision official on April 26, tweeting, "the pen has officially hit the paper."

the pen has officially hit the paper 🐸 pic.twitter.com/LeYSLH3uqX

— HVL (@haileyvanlith) April 26, 2024

Here's what you need to know about how TCU's roster shakes out with Van Lith in the mix and with another expected transfer — NIL star Haley Cavinder — off the table.

MORE: Inside rivalry between Hailey Van Lith, Caitlin Clark

TCU women's basketball roster

TCU went 21-12 this past season despite injuries forcing the Horned Frogs to forfeit two games and hold open tryouts just to fill out the roster. Expectations will be high in 2024-25, with Van Lith joining a talented core.

TCU projected starting five 2024-25

• Hailey Van Lith
• Una Jovanovic
• Madison Conner
• Agnes Emma-Nnopu 
• Sedona Prince

The Horned Frogs expected to welcome Haley Cavinder as well as Van Lith. Cavinder played three seasons at Fresno State and one at Miami before sitting out the 2023-24 season with her twin sister Hanna, and she had planned to transfer to TCU for her final year of eligiblity..

While TCU will not benefit from the tandem of Van Lith and Cavinder, Van Lith offers a stronger presence than Cavinder. She'll join Prince and Conner, who led the Horned Frogs in scoring in 2023-24.

TCU will also have the benefit of experience, as four of five projected starters have played four seasons of college basketball entering 2024-25. All five starters began their college careers elsewhere, so the Horned Frogs are continuing to take full advantage of the transfer portal to build a contender.

MORE: Full grades for Round 1 of WNBA Draft

Why Haley Cavinder isn't playing for TCU

Haley Cavinder and her twin sister Hanna played the first four seasons of their careers together, first at Fresno State and then at Miami. They became stars for their NIL endorsements as well, as they took full advantage of the new NCAA policies to boost their profiles.

While Haley Cavinder — the stronger player of the two — had planned a solo return to the court with TCU, Hanna announced Wednesday her decision to go back to Miami for a fifth season. Haley Cavinder decided to join her, flipping her commitment from TCU.

"Given the news yesterday that my sister was returning to play ball at Miami and after careful consideration and thought, I've decided to return to the University of Miami and play with Hanna for our fifth year," Cavinder wrote in a statement posted to social media.

pic.twitter.com/sdDZPIws6R

— Haley Cavinder (@CavinderHaley) April 18, 2024

What Kim Mulkey said about Hailey Van Lith transfer

In her one season with LSU, Van Lith shot a career-low 37.8% from the field and averaged just 11.6 points per game. She came to the Tigers looking to improve her play at point guard, but she never settled into the role.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey opened up about Van Lith's inconsistent season and her decision to leave the program, telling fans and boosters at the team's end-of-season banquet that the senior is "one of the hardest working players" she's ever coached.

“Her aspirations were to get drafted this year, and she realized, ‘I need another year, and I need to go back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position,'" Mulkey said. "And what do you do? You hug her, and you wish her well.”

Mulkey said Van Lith transferred to LSU intending to become a more well-rounded player before pursuing a WNBA career, saying: “She wanted to improve her strengths by coming to LSU with a goal of expanding her game by learning a position that I played my entire life."

Van Lith did deal with a learning curve as more of a distributor than a high-volume scorer, Mulkey admitted.

By re-entering the portal and leaving the Tigers, Van Lith might have a chance to play a bit of both roles in her final collegiate season. She can take on a larger scoring role than she did at LSU while still applying what she picked up with the Tigers about how to be a more well-rounded player.

While Van Lith will be more heavily featured at TCU, she isn't joining a roster without real talent. Here's a closer look at the group Van Lith is set to be a part of in 2024-25.

Hailey Van Lith stats