Hailey Van Lith not in WNBA Draft; leaving LSU to transfer again

Following their NCAA Tournament loss, the LSU Tigers are bracing for the departure of one of their standout players via the transfer portal.

Defeated by the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight matchup on Monday, LSU has witnessed the departure of two key players. Angel Reese has declared for the WNBA Draft, while Hailey Van Lith is now eyeing a transfer, according to Talia Goodman of Peegs.com.

Van Lith, departing LSU after just one season, endured a challenging year with the program and has no plans of returning.

Arriving at LSU from Louisville in 2023, the 22-year-old made a significant impact, averaging 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Her contributions led the Tigers to the Elite Eight in her final year before departing for Baton Rouge.

HVL’s scoring dropped significantly at LSU – she posted 11.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per contest this season. The dip was mostly the result of a positional change, though it was something she was looking to do given her desire to transition from being the primary scorer to learning the role of a traditional point guard in a bid to be better prepared for the WNBA.

It didn’t quite go as planned, however. And things were particularly bad on Monday as she was cruelly upstaged by Iowa star Caitlin Clark.

Kim Mulkey will have to regroup without two of this season’s best players this offseason. As mentioned above, Reese is leaving LSU for the pros and, while Van Lith has opted to forego the draft, she’s going to play her last year somewhere else.

“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 after Monday’s loss. “She’s got another year if she wants to come back.“

It’s going to be interesting to see how Mulkey rebuilds, but at least she won’t have Clark looming over her as the Hawkeyes star is also set to enter the WNBA Draft.