What’s in the water at TCU? The Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has stormed into uncharted territory this season, boasting a jaw-dropping 9-0 record. Once unranked and overlooked, they’ve turned the basketball world on its head, now sitting pretty as the No. 9 team in the nation. And if you’re wondering how this happened, look no further than the rebirths of Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith.
Sue Bird Sees It First
Even before TCU’s latest demolition job—a 78-42 obliteration of Florida Atlantic—WNBA royalty Sue Bird had her eye on this Cinderella story. “The other surprise is TCU,” Bird quipped on her podcast, A Touch More. “They go unranked, beat NC State, beat Notre Dame, and you’ve got a Hailey Van Lith resurgence, a Sedona Prince resurgence—it’s unreal.”
Unreal might be an understatement. Van Lith and Prince aren’t just good; they’re playing like basketball deities sent to remind everyone that underdog stories are alive and well.
Hailey Van Lith: The Comeback Queen
Let’s talk about Van Lith. Last season at LSU, she was quieter than a mouse in a library—a far cry from her All-ACC days at Louisville. Career lows in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage had critics sharpening their pitchforks. But, oh, how the tables have turned.
This season, Van Lith has been busier than a barista on a Monday morning. She’s putting up career-high numbers across the board: 19.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Efficiency? Check. Swagger? Double check. It’s like she remembered she’s that player, and she’s making sure everyone else remembers, too.
Sedona Prince: Blocking Shots and Breaking Hearts
Then there’s Sedona Prince, who has decided that dominating the paint isn’t enough—she’s leading the nation in blocks per game (4.3) and casually tossing in 20.1 points and 11.4 rebounds a night. Watching Prince play defense is like watching an artist paint—except the canvas is her opponents’ shattered hopes of scoring.
Against Florida Atlantic, Prince wasted no time asserting her dominance, scoring six of TCU’s first nine points. Van Lith joined the fun soon after with a silky layup and a three-pointer that screamed, “We’re here to stay.” Together, they combined for 30 points, 11 rebounds, and enough highlight-reel plays to keep TCU fans buzzing until next game.
The Frog Leap to No. 9
Here’s the kicker: this isn’t a fluke. TCU isn’t sneaking by with lucky breaks or buzzer-beaters. They’re dismantling teams. Their résumé includes scalps like NC State and Notre Dame—programs that are usually the ones doing the humbling.
And while Van Lith and Prince are the headliners, this is a team effort. The Horned Frogs have depth, grit, and a chip on their shoulder the size of Texas. Starting unranked only to rocket into the AP Top 10 is no small feat, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
What’s Next?
If you’re not paying attention to TCU yet, you might want to start. They’re rewriting the narrative of women’s college basketball with each passing game. The next time someone tells you Cinderella stories are only for March, just point them toward Fort Worth and say, “Not this year.”
With Van Lith and Prince leading the charge, the Horned Frogs are proving that sometimes, the biggest stories start from the smallest seeds. And trust us, this story is only getting started.
