TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith has returned to a familiar form in her first year with the program. Ranked 12th in the country with a 9-1 record, the team is led by Van Lith who is having a career year after transferring from LSU. Intending to win a national championship, her game has caught the attention of some of the best in the game as she looks to continue making history.

This season, Van Lith is averaging 19.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting a career-high 44.4% from the field. Her assists per game are also a career-high, nearly doubling her next-highest average set last season. Van Lith started her career at Louisville, where she played three seasons before transferring. Last season at LSU she averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. The brightest minds in the game took notice of her stellar performances, including South Carolina Gamecocks Head Coach, Dawn Staley. Before their 85-52 win against TCU, Coach Staley spoke to HighlightHer about how they had to game plan against Van Lith knowing she entered a familiar mode this season. “She’s more like in the Louisville (mode). You have to go back and look at the Louisville scout and see the types of things that we did to have an impact on her.” Despite losing to the defending champions, the Horned Frogs have some great wins that Van Lith was a huge part of. In the Cayman Islands Classic, they upset the third-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a comeback win, 76-68. Down by as much as 14 in the third quarter, they came back to win thanks to their star guard. Van Lith finished with 21 points (19 in the second half), seven assists, and three rebounds in the win. Her teammate, forward Sedona Prince, also excelled in the victory recording a double-double with 20 points and 20 rebounds. Prince and Van Lith have formed a dynamic duo that has guided TCU towards championship contention. Both players played a giant role in another key win, where some personal history was also made for Van Lith.

The Horned Frogs gained another important win, this time against 13th-ranked N.C. State, beating them 76-73. Van Lith achieved a double-double, scoring 18 points, and 10 assists. For the first time in her career, she totaled double-digit assists, and she saw this as an evolution to her game. “I’m transforming into a new player…before I was ‘Hailey the scorer’ and now I’m the playmaker. I’m trying to play ‘how do you want it?’ basketball.” As Van Lith transformed both her game and TCU, her teammates like Prince felt a sense of reassurance playing with her. “Playing with (Van Lith) is so relieving because she’s going to make the right choice every single time. When you play with high-level and smart players, (the chemistry) works almost immediately.” Through both highs and lows in her career, her ability to adapt based on what the team needs makes her truly exceptional.

Whatever the Horned Frogs' game results this season, Van Lith has done her part as a scorer and playmaker. With plenty of basketball yet to be played, the team still has time to gel before the NCAA Tournament. If TCU reaches its full potential by March, Van Lith will prove she can truly steer them toward a National Championship.