Hailey Van Lith, now dazzling fans at TCU, had some choice words about the infamous ‘You Can’t See Me’ gesture by Caitlin Clark during their 2023 NCAA Elite Eight showdown. Van Lith, who was with the Louisville Cardinals then, put on a stellar performance with 27 points, despite the team falling short against Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in a 97-83 thriller.
The real drama, though, wasn’t just in the score. Clark’s John Cena-inspired move became the meme of the night, leaving fans buzzing. But here’s the kicker – Hailey Van Lith later spilled the tea and laughed off the entire situation.
In a candid chat with Bleacher Report in June 2023, Van Lith didn’t hold back. “Right after the game, I texted her and I was like, ‘the media is dumb. I’m sorry.’ They just make stuff up and they just put it on the Internet and everyone thinks it’s true. We were laughing about it because she did it to her strength coach.”
Yes, folks, you heard it right – Clark wasn’t taunting Van Lith or anyone from Louisville. The hand wave was for her strength coach, not some epic mind game. Van Lith admitted she didn’t even see the gesture during the game, possibly because she was too busy doing, you know, basketball things.
“It’s just funny how like camera angles and perceptions are skewed. It was hilarious, we laughed about it after, so my perception, like, I don’t even have one,” Van Lith added, pointing out how the media can turn a friendly jest into a full-blown saga. So much for the drama, right?
After her impressive stint with the Cardinals, Van Lith packed her bags and headed to LSU before eventually landing with the TCU Horned Frogs. Talk about a whirlwind college career!
Van Lith Shines in U.S. Women’s 3×3 Team’s Olympic Comeback
Meanwhile, Van Lith hasn’t just been lighting up the college courts. She’s been making waves on the international stage, too. Representing the U.S. women’s 3×3 basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Van Lith and her squad had a rocky start, losing their first three games.
Cue the dramatic music – USA Basketball isn’t used to losing, and the haters were quick to pounce. “USA basketball is not used to losing. So, when you lose three in a row, it’s like everybody is kind of shocked and everybody’s rooting against us,” Cierra Burdick, Van Lith’s teammate, told The Dallas Morning News.
But in true Hollywood fashion, the team turned things around and clawed their way to the semifinals against Spain. With a spot in Monday’s showdown, the U.S. team is eyeing a repeat of their gold medal glory. Who doesn’t love a good underdog comeback?
So, whether it’s shrugging off media-created drama or making Olympic magic, Hailey Van Lith proves she’s a force to be reckoned with. Stay tuned, because this basketball dynamo’s story is far from over.
