For the second time in as many years, Hailey Van Lith is hitting the transfer portal.
The LSU guard was one of the biggest names who was looking to switch schools after the 2022-23 season. Van Lith was coming off a sensational three seasons at Louisville and elected to team up with Kim Mulkey and the defending national champions for this year's campaign.
However, Van Lith realized the grass isn't always greener on the other side. The Tigers already had a number of star scorers in Angel Reese, Aneesa Morrow, and Flau'jae Johnson. The result? Van Lith's averages dropped from 19.7 points, 3.2 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in her final year with the Cardinals to 11.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds, as her role completely changed with LSU.
"I hope it’s not her last game, but if it is, I’m proud to have been her coach for a year," Mulkey said of Van Lith after LSU's Elite Eight loss to Iowa. "Hailey Van Lith came to LSU after being an abundant shooter. Shot it a lot at Louisville. Had great success. Was on good teams ... For her to take that leap of faith and leave her comfort zone at Louisville, you don’t see many players do that when she was that big a piece to their puzzle. She has embraced learning a new position, taking fewer shots.
"I am forever indebted to Haley and her unselfish play to come to LSU to play with a lot of great players and learn a new position."
Van Lith and the Tigers came up empty-handed this season, falling to South Carolina in the SEC conference championship before getting bounced in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament thanks to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
Now, the guard is using her final year of NCAA eligibility, and she likely will be sporting a new uniform by the time fall comes around.
Where could Van Lith end up for the 2024-25 season? Here's a look at the potential landing spots for the LSU guard.
MORE: What's next for LSU after NCAA Tournament exit?
Hailey Van Lith landing spots
UConn
From one women's powerhouse to another. Geno Auriemma and UConn recruited Van Lith once before, as the Huskies tried to land the guard out of high school before falling out of the sweepstakes. If Van Lith were to bring her talents to Storrs, she would have the opportunity to pair up with the dynamic Paige Bueckers, who is returning to UConn for another year.
Of course, there is the risk that Van Lith would be putting herself in the same position she found herself at LSU — competing with other stars for shots on offense. However, Bueckers offers a different skill set than Angel Reese with the Tigers. Plus, if there is any coach who knows how to handle a plethora of star talent, it's Auriemma.
Southern California
Similarly to UConn, if Van Lith wants to pair up with another superstar, the Washington native may consider a move back toward the Pacific and join JuJu Watkins at Southern California. The storied program finally got back on track this season thanks to the stellar play out of the true freshman guard, but it lost in the Elite Eight to Bueckers and the Huskies.
The Trojans are losing graduate guards McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla. While Watkins proved she doesn't necessarily need veteran help on the court, it's never a bad thing to have. Lindsey Gottlieb would be smart to at the very least consider pairing Van Lith with the talented Watkins, taking another step to get USC back to perennial contender status.
Stanford
When Van Lith ultimately decided to transfer to LSU last year, she revealed that there were two other schools that she considered. One of those was Stanford. Van Lith talked to Tara VanDerveer when she first entered the transfer portal, but the Cardinal ultimately missed out on her services.
Stanford is graduating guard Hannah Jump, while also losing star center Cameron Brink. Kiki Iriafen has emerged as a weapon for the Cardinal and could use another veteran on the court with her. Don't be surprised to see the program try and bring Van Lith back to the West Coast.
South Carolina
The other program that Van Lith was in talks with last year during her transfer portal process was South Carolina — and who could blame her? No team has dominated in the last few seasons like the Gamecocks have, as Dawn Staley's team is undefeated this year and suffered just one loss — a Final Four defeat to Iowa — in 2022-23.
Not only would South Carolina give Van Lith the best odds at winning a title on paper, but she would also get the chance to learn underneath Staley, who is one of the most decorated point guards in basketball history. It would be a win-win situation for Van Lith.
MORE: Why Angel Reese isn't a projected lottery pick in the WNBA Draft
Ohio State
Okay, enough about the rich getting richer. If Van Lith wants to find a program where she could get back the role she had at Louisville, then Ohio State is a team that could come into play. The Buckeyes are losing a trio of guards in Rikki Harris (transfer portal), Jacy Sheldon (WNBA), and Celeste Taylor (WNBA), and they will need help at the position.
While Clark and Iowa were rightfully the talk of the Big Ten this season, Ohio State had the better conference record, winning the Big Ten regular-season title, and handed Iowa one of its four losses on the season. With Clark gone next year, it opens up the conference for the taking, and Van Lith could be the key for the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten for the first time since 2018.
Miami
Let's get creative, shall we? In the age of NIL, sometimes not everything is about championships. If Van Lith is chasing a ring, then she is better off looking somewhere else than Miami. It's going to be a new era for the Hurricanes, with longtime head coach Katie Meier retiring, so a new face will be at the helm.
With that said, Van Lith is an adidas athlete, and Miami is one of the most prominent schools with ties to the athletic company. It also has a history of handing out boatloads of cash, thanks to the likes of billionaire booster John Ruiz. One other tidbit — Van Lith's boyfriend is Magic guard Jalen Suggs. Orlando and Miami aren't exactly neighboring cities in Florida, but it would put the two close together. Just some food for thought.
Washington
Admittedly, this one is a long shot. However, after spending her first four seasons playing away from home, what if Van Lith elected to return to the Evergreen State? The guard is a native of Wenatchee and has spent her entire collegiate career east of the Mississippi.
Washington State could also be an option and is in a better shape to contend than its inter-state counterpart. However, like Miami, Washington is an adidas school, and pairing up one of the company's most prominent college athletes would be a smart business move.
