Hailey Van Lith has been in the news a lot recently. First for her controversial switch to the LSU Tigers from the Louisville Cardinals to team up with national champion, Angel Reese.

She was in the news yet again when she showed up to the WNBA All-Star game at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas topless with only a bra on.

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Hailey Van Lith is no stranger to controversy, with Caitlin Clark’s ‘you can’t see me’ gesture during their Elite Eight matchup originally thought to be a taunt against her. She came out and cleared the air afterward.

“We were laughing about it because she did it to her strength coach. Clark didn’t do it to anyone on our team, especially me.”

Hailey Van Lith has steadily grown her social media following after her notable campaign with Louisville and her transfer to LSU. She currently has 213,000 TikTok followers and 875,000 Instagram followers.

Hailey Van Lith’s growing stature
Hailey Van Lith’s move to the LSU Tigers was unexpected, but she cited their strong culture of supporting women’s basketball, her mental health, and her relationship with head coach Kim Mulkey.

Her explanation for the unexpected move was warmly received by college basketball fans.

“It came down to my ability to be happy, and I had to put myself first,” she said. “I had done my part, and I had sacrificed myself and given my all to that program. But at the end of the day, I just I wasn’t enjoying everyday life. It was a situation there where I chose that I deserve happiness.”
She had a stellar season with Louisville, averaging 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. In her three seasons there, she led them to an Elite Eight appearance last season and a Final Four spot the season before that.

Van Lith has two seasons of eligibility remaining due to the extra COVID year college athletes were awarded. She is also eligible to declare for the WNBA next year in what promises to be a competitive draft class containing the likes of Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark.

Van Lith was recently part of Team USA’s women’s 3×3 as they won the FIBA World Cup for the first time since 2014, beating France 16-12. She had 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds during the title game.

Van Lith has seen her stature grow in the past few months in an era where stars like Caitlin Clark, Olivia Dunne, and Angel Reese seem to be dominating the news cycles.