Hailey Van Lith and Louisville were eliminated from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday night and it took Iowa’s Caitlin Clark to record a historic 41-point triple-double to take over the Cardinals.
Van Lith had a tournament-high 27 points with three assists and two rebounds in a 97-83 loss.
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Hailey Van Lith of the Louisville Cardinals reacts during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The two-time All-ACC guard was asked after the game if Louisville’s failure to reach the Final Four will motivate the team to come back stronger next season. Van Lith gave a forceful response.
«I will be completely honest. I am not motivated by external factors. I am motivated by myself and always have been. If we had won the national championship this year, I would have had the same amount of motivation in me and that’s the way I am,» he said.
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Hailey Van Lith of the Louisville Cardinals reacts during the Iowa Hawkeyes game in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on March 26, 2023 in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“I’m not motivated at all by the fact that I got an honorable mention. I know who I am and I know what God thinks I am. God doesn’t think it’s an honorable mention. right now. I don’t need an external motivation.»
Van Lith is certainly on her way to the WNBA, but it’s not yet clear if she’ll return for another season in Louisville.
During the 2022-23 season, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. She has been one of Louisville’s best women’s basketball players.
Hailey Van Lith of the Louisville Cardinals against the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 26, 2023 in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Cardinals were tournament runners-up in 2009 and 2013 and reached the Final Four last season before losing to South Carolina 72-59. The Cardinals have never won a national championship.