Hailey Van Lith is the latest star to join Louisiana State University (LSU) as the college now houses the likes of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover models Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese
College basketball star Hailey Van Lith is a social media sensation with almost 800,000 Instagram followers.
The 21-year-old has been a household name since high school as she ranked as one of the top basketball players in the nation before she was recruited by Louisville.
The blond bombshell’s social media following only grew during her time at the college with her exploits on the court speaking for itself.
Following an elimination in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament with Louisville, Van Lith decided to take her talents to Louisiana, as she’s teaming up with fellow basketball stunner Angel Reese next season with LSU, who are the defending champions.
The news certainly stunned many in the college basketball world as essentially a super-team is being constructed with Van Lith, Reese, and guard Flau’Jae Johnson consisting of the team’s ‘Big Three’.
When asked whether the elimination game in March would motivate her and her teammates to make another run next year, Van Lith didn’t mention her future, instead focusing on her personal motivation.
“I’ll be completely honest. I’m not motivated by external factors. I’m motivated by myself and I always have been,” she insisted.
“If we woulda won the national championship this year, I woulda had the same amount of motivation in me and that’s just who I am,” she said.
“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.”
Van Lith’s excellence on the court secured her a NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with Adidas as well as a lucrative deal with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is one of America’s biggest sporting goods retail companies.
In the updated On3 Women’s NIL 100, where the top 10 list contains four LSU athletes, the Washington native ranks eighth on the list with a value of £405,000 ($506,000).
