Hailey Van Lith decided to leave LSU and re-enter the transfer portal after playing just one year for head coach Kim Mulkey. This upcoming season will be her fifth and final year of eligibility.
It seems likely that Van Lith will reunite with Sam Purcell at Mississippi State.
However, she is going to take her time after going through this process once before. There is no rush.
Regardless of where Van Lith ultimately ends up, Mulkey revealed on Friday that the former five-star recruit is going to return to her natural position during the 2024/25 college basketball season. That is the catalyst to the departure from Baton Rouge. So says the 61-year-old head coach, at least.
Neither she nor Van Lith had addressed the exit until Thursday night. The former wished the latter nothing but the best.
You hug her, and you wish her well.
— Kim Mulkey
Mulkey also told fans and boosters that Van Lith “lived up to her commitment,” which was to play one year for the Tigers. Unfortunately, the goal was to then turn pro. That is now what happened.
Van Lith saw her WNBA Draft stock decline as a result of a position change. The decision to forgo the league and return to college stems from her desire to get back to where she is comfortable.
Her aspirations were to get drafted this year. And she realized, “I need another year, and I need to get back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position.”
— Kim Mulkey
Last year, Van Lith’s true senior year, was a struggle at times. There were multiple instances where she showed visible frustration with herself, her teammates and her coach. There was also (at least) one clear moment where Angel Reese was frustrated with Van Lith.
It never fully clicked.
With that being said, Van Lith learned a lot despite the challenges of what was ultimately a failed position change. Mulkey offered her high praise for being “one of the hardest working players” she has ever coached and for stepping outside of her comfort zone.
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. Because she knows at the next level that’s her only chance – to be able to tell them somewhat, “I can handle the ball if you need me to.”
She had to embrace a change in her mindset of not shooting it 20-30 times a game, but finding who’s open and getting them the ball. And sometimes it was hard because she would be pressured, and she’d be pounding the heck out of that ball.
— Kim Mulkey
Hailey Van Lith took seven fewer shots per game during her lone year at LSU compared to her junior year at Louisville. She averaged eight less points per game. Her shooting percentage fell to a career-low 38%.
Now that Van Lith has learned how to be a primary ball-handler, Mulkey says that she is ready to return to a more comfortable role as a scorer. The 5-foot-7 guard hopes to combine her ability to score with her (new-found) ability to distribute as the floor general into a valuable skillset that can draw greater interest from — and better set her up for success in — the WNBA!