Hailey Van Lith, Louisville women's basketball star guard, enters NCAA transfer portal

Hailey Van Lith’s time at Louisville has ended.

The junior guard is entering the transfer portal after three stellar seasons with the Cardinals.

“We thank Hailey for her contributions to this program, this school and this community,” U of L coach Jeff Walz said. “She has done everything we have asked of her over the past three years, and we wish her the very best in her final collegiate season and beyond.”

The star guard's final game as a Cardinal took place in her home state of Washington but ended with a 97-83 Elite Eight defeat at the hands of Iowa on March 26 in Seattle. Van Lith, who will graduate with a finance degree in May, led U of L with 27 points, three assists and two rebounds in the loss. She and Hawkeyes junior guard Caitlin Clark were the only two Power Five conference players to average at least 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game this season.

Van Lith scored 1,553 points in three seasons with the Cardinals (26-12) and averaged 15.4 points, 2.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.

"It's been an honor over the last three years to have had the opportunity to pour my passion and heart into Louisville," Van Lith said in an Instagram post Saturday morning. "This city has impacted my life in so many ways and helped shape me into the person I am today. The Louisville community has given to me selflessly. I will never forget your unwavering support. I look back at my time in Louisville with nothing but joy and gratitude. ... This community will always be part of my family and I'm forever grateful for my time here."

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Van Lith came to U of L in 2020 as the No. 7 prospect in the nation per espnW HoopGurlz and No. 2 according to Prospect Nation. She was drawn to the Cardinals' culture.

"They just had this dog persona," Van Lith said in January. "And that's what I think is inside me. I related to that team that I watched. They were tough and they were competitive."

Upon her arrival at Louisville, Van Lith earned a starting spot on the Cardinals’ squad immediately, playing alongside Dana Evans in the backcourt as U of L made the first of Van Lith's three appearances in the Elite Eight, losing to Stanford. Van Lith, who had seven points and three rebounds in that game, earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors after averaging 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the season.

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Van Lith developed into Louisville's leading scorer the next season — she averaged 14.4 points, including a career-high 34 points against Clemson — and was named the NCAA Tournament Wichita Region Most Outstanding Player, leading the Cardinals to the Final Four, where they lost to South Carolina.

This season, she averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Van Lith guided the Cards through a rocky regular season before making a run to the ACC Tournament championship game and a third Elite Eight in March. She found an extra gear in March Madness, averaging 23.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists during the NCAA Tournament.

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Van Lith became the first Louisville athlete to have her jersey for sale and used her platform at Louisville to garner name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and partnerships with companies like Adidas, Dick’s Sporting Goods and JCPenny.

Last year, Front Office Sports reported Van Lith was one of the most marketable players in the nation, worth an estimated $1 million in NIL rights. Her reported social media earnings potential ($44,200) was second to UConn star guard Paige Bueckers.

"I've been very specific in what I'm looking to partner with, what I'm willing to put my image on,” Van Lith said in October.

In August 2021, she became the first college women's basketball player to sign with global PR agency Octagon, whose client list also includes Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and Olympic gymnastics great Simone Biles.

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How Hailey Van Lith's transfer impacts Louisville WBB in 2023-24

Van Lith is U of L's most significant loss ahead of the 2023-24 season. Payton Verhulst transferred to Oklahoma during the season, and Jalyn Brown, Zyanna Walker and Imani Lester entered the portal over the last month. And Louisville will lose six players to graduation.

The Cardinals should return a core of juniors Olivia Cochran (8.4 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Merissah Russell (4.6 points, 2.5 rebounds) as well as freshman Nyla Harris (4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds). But they will need more help if they are to get back to the Final Four.

The Cardinals don't have any commits from the 2023 recruiting class, leaving coach Jeff Walz to bolster his roster and find another potential star via the portal. Walz has had success there before — landing guard Chrislyn Carr (11 points per game) and Morgan Jones (8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds per game) before the 2022-23 season — and was busy during March Madness scouting the portal, which closes May 11.

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"You're getting prepared for NCAA Tournament games and checking the portal every five minutes to see if any of your kids have gone in, too," he said on March 15 prior to the Cardinals' NCAA Tournament first-round game. "We prepared for Drake during the day, and then at night, you're working on filling a roster. It's fun, though. It's part of the job and it's intriguing. You're trying to find the right pieces to go with the ones you have."

On Monday, Louisville picked up former California guard Jayda Curry, ESPN's fourth-ranked transfer this spring. She can help replace some of the offensive production left behind by Van Lith after averaging 15.5 points and 3.5 assists per game this season with the Golden Bears. U of L also picked up former Georgia Tech guard Eylia Love in January.

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Hailey Van Lith of Louisville basketball enters NCAA transfer portal