Hailey Van Lith quickly realized after just one season that she needed to relocate her talents for the upcoming 2024 season.

Hailey Van Lith - Women's Basketball - University of Louisville Athletic

Although the college basketball season has concluded, the transfer portal buzz remains fervent. Van Lith officially joined the NCAA Transfer Portal last Thursday, departing Baton Rouge after her brief stint there. This marks her second entry into the portal, having previously left the Louisville Cardinals for LSU last year.

Now, a prominent contender has emerged to vie for her skills.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have set their sights on the former standout of both LSU and Louisville, hoping to enlist her for their program to cap off her collegiate career. This strategic move aligns well, considering Sam Purcell assumed the role of Mississippi State women’s basketball head coach in 2022 after serving as an assistant at Louisville for eight years.
Van Lith played for two years under Purcell, so the relationship and familiarity are already in place.

Van Lith had nothing but good things to say about Purcell when asked about his hire in 2022:
“Yeah, he’s my guy, man. Everyone on the team knows that’s my coach. And we’re really close, and we have a great relationship. And he treats me like family. And he puts up with me when I want to work out all the time and rebounds for me and all that.

I’m going to miss him a lot, but it’s his time, and he’s worked really hard for this, and he deserves this opportunity. I’ll clap for him, and I’ll keep up, and we’ll keep our relationship, but it’s time for him to take the next step.”
The Mississippi State Bulldogs Want Hailey Van Lith


There has been major buzz that Van Lith might be taking her talents to Mississippi State. Sports Illustrated reported that, after speaking with those familiar with her recruitment, there does appear to be some level of “traction” here.

The report made it clear that it is not set in stone due to several other programs being linked to Hailey Van Lith
There is no secret as to why Mississippi State would want her as head coach. Sam Purcell was an assistant coach at Louisville during Van Lith’s stint with the Cardinals, and the program would love to improve after finishing seventh in the conference during the 2023-24 season.