Hailey Van Lith is set to run it back against Texas on Monday night.
Arguably the most unstoppable force in college basketball, the 23-year-old superstar has led the TCU Horned Frogs into the Elite Eight of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
HVL, of course, is no stranger to this stage.
She has now helped her third school reach the Elite Eight of March Madness – and is the only player in history to go that far with a trio of different teams.
Every year in college, in fact, she has advanced at least to this stage.
With LSU last season, Van Lith suffered heartbreak against Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, and crashed out of the tournament.
In 2023, en-route to the Elite Eight, HVL made even bigger headlines against the team she will go toe-to-toe with once again.
Two years ago, when she was a junior with Louisville, things got chippy after the Cardinals’ 73-51 win over Texas that saw them move on to the Sweet 16.
As both teams lined up to shake hands, Van Lith and Longhorns senior guard Sonya Morris were seen exchanging words.
Morris, who was first in line for Texas, leaned in to talk to her victorious opponent – who had scored a game-high 21 points – as the pair shared a handshake.
Although it appeared cordial at first, Van Lith appeared frustrated and stormed off.
She was also captured by cameras saying something as she continued shaking hands with Longhorns players.
Van Lith made headlines last time she faced Texas in March MadnessX/ESPN The former Louisville star shared a heated handshake with Longhorns guard MorrisX/ESPN After their exchange, HVL was caught on camera saying something as she walked offX/ESPNHowever, two years on and it’s still unclear what was said, or what sparked the fiery moment.
The moment between Van Lith and Morris went viral at the time, and the former Louisville star was forced to address it in the days that followed.
“I mean, that happens in the NBA game every single day,” she told the media.
“Just because it was women’s basketball, they’re going to drag it out and it’s a whole deal.
“But, you know, it really wasn’t a big deal and people are trying to stretch.”
Monday will mark the first time that Van Lith and the Longhorns cross paths since that infamous incident, and offers the TCU star a chance to reignite that rivalry.
Van Lith will face the Longhorns again on Monday night, with hopes of making the Final FourGettyMarch Madness Top Stories
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She comes into the game in great from, having lifted the Horned Frogs over Notre Dame in the last round.
Van Lith finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists to set TCU’s single-season scoring record of 663 points.
“Ms. March,” coach Mark Campbell said after HVL’s milestone performance.
“Deserved and earned. She gets that title, and she can own it.”
The winner of Monday’s showdown will face South Carolina in the Final Four as the tournament moves to Tampa for the championship finale.
UCLA are into the Final Four – for the first time in their history – they await the winners of the game between USC and UConn on Monday.
How to watch March Madness in the UK
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March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.
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