Hailey Van Lith, an American college basketball player for the TCU Horned Frogs, has won two gold medals with the United States at the youth international level.
Her parents played a significant role in her athletic career and raised her to be a true sportswoman.
Highlights
- Hailey Van Lith’s parents run a custom home-building business, Van Lith Homes.
- Her father trained her four to five nights weekly, and the father-daughter duo often returned home yelling at each other about things that went wrong while practicing.
- She grew up with her brother, who plays Big Bend Community College baseball.
Hailey Ann Van Lith began playing basketball at Cashmere High School under head coach Brent Darnell. She led her team to the Class 1A state title game but lost to Mount Baker Senior High School.
In her junior season, she was named AP Class 1A Player of the Year and Washington Gatorade Player of the Year. On February 15, 2020, she became the state’s all-time leading scorer.
ESPN considered her a five-star recruit, and she committed to playing college basketball for Louisville over an offer from Baylor.
On November 25, 2020, she made her college debut as a starting point guard, recording 13 points and eight rebounds in a winning game over Southeast Missouri State.
She became the most outstanding player of the Wichita Regional in the 2022 NCAA tournament and earned All-America honorable mention from different associations in the 2023 NCAA tournament.
Moreover, she announced the transfer to reigning national champion LSU on April 27, 2023, but entered the transfer portal again on April 4, 2024.
Hailey Van Lith’s Parents Runs Custom Home Building Business
Hailey Van Lith, the daughter of Jessica and Corey Van Lith, was born on September 9, 2001, in Wenatchee, Washington.
She grew up with her brother, Tanner, who plays baseball for Big Bend Community College.
Talked to Hailey Van Lith's parents before tonight's Elite Eight game in Seattle.
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) March 27, 2023
They expect a Cashmere support system that runs 300 people deep in attendance.
Van Lith will face her former Team USA teammate Caitlin Clark with a spot in the Final Four on the line. pic.twitter.com/kcTgRwXuQa
Corey was an athlete in his youth, playing basketball and baseball at the University of Puget Sound. He taught his children the fundamentals of basketball and encouraged them to play.
He passed his passion for sports to Hailey and trained her four to five nights weekly at the John Newberry gym.
The father and daughter duo often returned home yelling at each other about things that went wrong while practicing.
Seeing them arguing, Jessica thought Hailey would give up on her dreams but would pick up the ball the following day, standing before her dad, and tell him to get ready.
Corey got his passion for sports from his father, Gary Van Lith, a lifelong Washingtonian who pushed him to excel in sports.
Gary smoothed things between Corey and Hailey whenever things got heated between the father-daughter duo.
The Van Lith family is in the custom home-building business. Gary built custom homes for 20 years before deciding to sell the company, to which Corey made the first bid.
On the other hand, Jessica initially worked in retail management but later joined their family business, Van Lith Homes. She is an interior designer and helps clients to customize their homes.
The married couple supported their children’s athletic careers from the very beginning. They taught them the importance of hard work from a young age.
Hailey Van Lith Follows Christian Religion
The college basketball player Hailey Van Lith was baptized in 2023 and recalls it as the best day of her life.
Her Instagram bio mentioned 1 Peter 5:6, which means, “All of us must live in humility toward each other and toward God, who opposes the proud.”
Hailey believes in God, and her social media captions reflect her dedication to her religion and God. She praised God after her national team won a gold medal.
She speaks about her motivation and emphasizes her faith as a driving force behind her success. Her most extraordinary succession life is to offer her life to serve Jesus.
I’m not motivated at all by the fact that they named me honorable mention. I know who I am and I know what God thinks I am. God doesn’t think I’m an honorable mention, I’ll tell you that right now. I don’t need external motivation. I’m internally motivated.
Hailey Van Lith
Furthermore, after graduating from Louisville, she glorified God in an Instagram post captioned, “This moment is to glorify God in all of His goodness. He is the one true love.”
The post also mentioned the verse Isaiah 41:9-10.
Nonetheless, her origin and family ethnicity reflect a deep connection to America, as her parents both hail from America.
She learned independence, freedom of expression, and the pursuit of success for her parents.
Additional Information
- Hailey Van Lith played softball as a center fielder and shortstop for Cashmere and received offers from NCAA Division I softball programs in eighth grade.
- She won a gold medal with the United States at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in 3×3 basketball in Argentina.
- She graduated with a master’s degree in finance from the University of Louisville on August 16, 2024.
- She donated $30,000 to the Louisville nonprofit Family Scholar House to provide tablets for its children’s technology program.
