Hailey Van Lith, the junior guard from Cashmere High School, is having a phenomenal 2022-23 season for the Louisville Cardinals. She has been named a WBCA Region Finalist and has led her team to several impressive victories. Let’s take a closer look at some of her best moments so far this season:
In a game against the No. 4 seed Texas, Van Lith scored 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting, while also grabbing three rebounds, dishing out three assists, and snagging two steals. She followed that up with a team-best 26 points in a win over No. 12 seed Drake, shooting 10-for-20 and adding three assists and two steals to her impressive performance.
Van Lith’s outstanding play has earned her several accolades, including Honorable Mention All-American nods from both the AP and USBWA, as well as a Second Team Academic All-American award from the CSC. She was also named to the ACC First Team All-Tournament after scoring 12 points in the conference finals against No. 3 seed Virginia Tech and leading her team with 15 points in a win over No. 1 seed Notre Dame in the semifinals.
A Scoring Machine…
Van Lith has been a scoring machine, putting up impressive numbers in multiple games this season. She scored 26 points, including 17 in the first quarter, in a win over Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament. She also had 23 points against No. 10 Notre Dame, 25 points against Miami, and 17 points against Boston College. In fact, she has scored 17 or more points in each of her last five games, and 15 or more points in each of her last nine.
Van Lith has also been a force on the defensive end of the court. She tied a career-high with five steals against No. 10 Notre Dame and has recorded two or more steals in each of her last four games. She has also been a facilitator for her teammates, dishing out five or more assists in seven games this season.
Her impressive play has not gone unnoticed. Van Lith has been named to both the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Team and the Drysdale Award Top 10 List. She has also been named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 List.
Van Lith’s season has been full of outstanding performances, including a game against Florida State where she tallied 20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and five steals, becoming the only player in the NCAA this season with such a stat line. She also scored a season-high 29 points against No. 13 Virginia Tech, and had a career-high seven assists in a win over Pitt.
A Leader On The Court….
Van Lith has proven herself to be a complete player this season, tallying double-doubles in back-to-back games against Middle Tennessee and #4/5 Ohio State. She has also played every minute of the game twice this season, and scored 18 points against both #3/5 Texas and Gonzaga while leading her team in rebounds in both games.
With Van Lith leading the way, the Louisville Cardinals have been a force to be reckoned with this season, and will undoubtedly continue to be a threat as the Cards make a run into the post-season.
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