After helping lead Texas Christian University to its first-ever Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament on Sunday, Hailey Van Lith used the spotlight not to talk about stats or game plans—but to share her testimony.
“The way that I got exposed to the media and social media at such a young age, I really struggled with mental health things,” she said in a postgame interview. “When I was younger and in college, I was suicidal, I was heavily medicated, and I felt trapped. And you would never know because I was having a ton of success and support. But internally and in life in general, I was ready to be done.”
Van Lith didn’t shy away from the reality of how bad things once were. “I didn’t even want to live,” she said. “Like to come from that to this is incredible.”
And she credits her faith in God as the only reason she made it to this moment.
“I’ve been praying all year, like God, I know you’ve given me this testimony to share it with the world and shed your light,” she said. “And I think that this is the year that, and this is the moment that He wants people to know my story and how He’s taken me literally from the depths of wanting to die to this moment of loving life.”
In another press conference, Van Lith doubled down on giving God the glory.
“It’s a blessing, but I really am—I’m really standing on God’s shoulders right now,” she said. “He’s delivered me from so much pain and suffering and confusion … it’s all glory to God, truly. I would be nothing without Him in the darkest moments of my life. He never turned His face from me.”
The TCU star said she feels like her story has a bigger purpose, one that’s about more than wins and losses.
“All those people are wearing my jersey out there, but it’s for a greater purpose,” she said. “It’s God working, man. So that’s all I have to say.”
Van Lith said even if basketball disappeared from her life, her perspective has changed entirely.
“Even if basketball went away today, I truly would want to be here and love these people,” she said. “So that’s really my story with God, and He’s just so powerful. That’s what I mean when I say that He’s delivered me from literally the worst suffering ever.”
Hailey Van Lith talks about her mental health struggles throughout her college career, and how this year has been such a blessing for her.
Really powerful message worth watching from the TCU guard pic.twitter.com/AzNU4oLPQw
— Nick Girimonte (@GirimonteNicky) March 24, 2025
