“For her to take that leap of faith and leave her comfort zone at Louisville, you don’t see many players do that when she was that big a piece to their puzzle.” That’s what coach Kim Mulkey had to say about Hailey Van Lith when she made the bold move to join the reigning 2023 NCAA champions. But that chapter didn’t last long. After a year of struggling to find her prime form in a stacked lineup, Van Lith left the Lady Tigers. Now, she’s back to her best- and Kim Mulkey is facing the heat!
After LSU’s loss to Iowa last season, many expected Hailey Van Lith to either declare for the WNBA Draft like Angel Reese or return for another year. Kim Mulkey had a similar thought, saying, “I hope it’s not her last game. But if it is, I’m proud to have been her coach for a year. She’s got another year if she wants to come back.” Little did she know that Van Lith would take a different path- entering the transfer portal instead.
Expectations were sky-high when Hailey Van Lith joined the Tigers. They were the reigning champions, and Kim Mulkey had known the talented guard since her high school days. But things didn’t go as planned. Fitting into a roster featuring champions like Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, and Aneesah Morrow proved to be a challenge, leading her to transfer to TCU. Safe to say, that move has paid off. Van Lith is now the Big 12 MVP, leading the Horned Frogs to their first championship in 20 years. A move Kim Mulkey will surely regret!
Fans have taken notice of Hailey Van Lith’s standout performances in the Big 12 this season. Many have voiced their frustration over losing a player who clearly had the talent to thrive with the Tigers. With Van Lith shining elsewhere, the pressure is mounting on Kim Mulkey. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions as fans call her out.
Fans frustrated with Kim Mulkey as HVL continues to shine
The frustration among LSU fans is evident. Losing a player like Hailey Van Lith was bound to spark anger, and many took to X to voice their disappointment. One fan wrote, “Hear, hear. So happy you left that pile at LSU and made a brilliant decision to join the Frogs. Who in hell would have the savvy to pull such a life-changing choice? Meet Hailey Van Lith. I need an aplet… maybe a cotlet. You’re not done yet, Van Lith!!!” Another fan joined in, “Hailey Van Lith has BEEN a baller. IDK why y’all are surprised. Didn’t blend well at LSU and y’all blamed her, but really the issue was elsewhere. HVL is pure hoops. Couldn’t work well with rebound diva Sid the Sloth, Angel Grease, on the team though.”
Hear Hear. So happy you left that pile at LSU and made a brilliant decision to join the Frogs. Who in hell would have the savvy to pull such a life changing choice? Meet Hailey Van Lith. I need an aplet …maybe a cotlet. You’re not done yet, Van Lith !!!
— MADDRicker (@MaddRicker) March 10, 2025
When Hailey Van Lith joined Kim Mulkey at LSU, she was coming off a season where she averaged nearly 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for the Louisville Cardinals. So, seeing her thrive now isn’t shocking at all. Everyone knew she had the talent, but with the stacked roster at LSU, Van Lith never really had the freedom to play her game the way she was used to.
You could put the blame on Mulkey for not utilizing her properly, but at the same time, LSU had a championship-winning core. It wouldn’t have made much sense to suddenly run plays through a new player when the system was already working.
But not all fans were frustrated—many were genuinely happy for Hailey Van Lith and her resurgence at TCU. One fan congratulated her, saying, “I’m so happy for Hailey Van Lith. Her first conference championship … LSU was a bad fit for her and she struggled, but TCU has been a whole redemption story for her and I’m so happy for her! This has to be so healing for her! #NCAAW” Another fan echoed the sentiment, adding, “Really happy for Hailey Van Lith! From the tough times and drama at LSU to this. Absolutely incredible job by an incredible woman and athlete in women’s basketball!”
Hailey shocked the entire basketball community when she chose to join a TCU program that had never advanced past the second round of the NCAA tournament in its history. On top of that, she had never won a conference championship herself. But she proved all her doubters wrong. Not only did she lead the Horned Frogs to their first regular season championship in 15 years, but she also delivered a Big 12 tournament title–earning Most Outstanding Player honors in the process. Fans are thrilled for her, but as for Mulkey… not so much!
Finally, one fan called for an apology from those who mocked Hailey Van Lith during her time in Baton Rouge. They stated, “A lot of people owe Hailey Van Lith an apology after she was forced to sit in the corner at LSU while Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson took 40 shots a game.”
Last year wasn’t the best of years for Van Lith. Offensively and defensively, Hailey Van Lith saw a decline in her numbers last season. She managed just 11.2 points per game this season. She also recorded 85 turnovers–the second-highest mark of her career. During LSU’s NCAA Tournament run, Van Lith struggled to make an impact, scoring fewer than five points in all four games– three against Rice, four versus Middle Tennessee, two against UCLA, and three in the loss to Iowa.
Naturally, she faced a lot of criticism from fans, which likely played a role in her decision to move on. However, it was definitely the right choice. Her efficiency has returned, and she’s now averaging 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season, proving that class is indeed permanent!
Kim Mulkey’s loss is certainly Coach Mark Campbell’s gain. While the Tigers may have missed out on a talented player, Mulkey won’t be losing sleep over it. With a strong team still in place, she knows that if everything clicks in the postseason, the Tigers remain in the hunt for another championship this season. Stay tuned for more updates.
The post Calls Mount Against Kim Mulkey’s LSU as Outrage Grows Over the Injustice Done to Ex-Lady Tiger appeared first on EssentiallySports.
