Hailey Van Lith’s third act: transfer check in

How some of the most prominent college basketball transfers are doing this season.

Change is the only constant in life, and college basketball is no different. Years ago, a player’s main decision was what college to play for. Once that was decided and the athlete signed, they would play there for three or four years. The idea of transferring penalized the student-athlete too much to make it worthwhile.

Sitting out a year so one could start up again someplace else in a potentially better scenario was an itch not worth scratching until now.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with the NCAA that permanently ended restrictions on eligibility for athletes transferring schools. This means that students can play immediately after transferring instead of redshirting for a year. The transfer rules changing along with the booming of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals, has taken off the veil of amateurism in collegiate sports and has given student-athletes the freedom and ability to go where they can grow in their education, athletic achievement, and for financial gain.

College programs now have to recruit and ensure that the players at their school are happy so they don’t transfer and enter the portal themselves.

Decision Day is no longer the date that will determine your program’s future. The portal opens every year, and your decisions there will matter just as much, if not more, than anything else.

This year, over 1,000 women’s basketball players entered the portal, and you can expect that number only to increase moving forward.

These are no longer isolated incidents that can be ignored. The number of students transferring and where they’re going will reshape the sport and the ability of certain universities to become contenders.

Here are five transfers making the biggest impact at their new schools.

Hailey Van-Lith

Most athletes are known for their biggest achievements. HVL is known for her lowest moment when she was annihilated by Caitlin Clark in the Elite Eight last year.

Clark was hotter than fish grease in this game, scoring basket after basket on HVL. She relentlessly targeted HVL in one-on-one matchups to the point that it felt like bullying. In the middle of the contest, she causally took another deep 3-pointer, and HVL did the reverse MJ Shrug as if to say, ‘What do you want me to do?”

HVL was equally bad offensively, going 2-10 from the field. LSU lost the game and fans and media alike pointed to HVL’s performance as a key factor in the team’s defeat. The loss ended their national title defense and she never played for the Tigers again, deciding to transfer to TCU.

The move was an eyebrow raiser as it placed her in a weaker program and seemed to be done to get out of the place where she had her worst moment. However, redemption can take on many shapes and forms, and a few weeks into the college basketball season, HVL is playing the best basketball of her career.

She’s averaging 19.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists for the Horned Frogs as they’ve begun the season with a 11-1 record. Her best game so far was her performance against No. 13 NC State. She had her first-ever double double with assists, ending the game with 18 points and 10 dimes.

After the game, her coach, Mark Campbell, told her about the accomplishment. She teared up in his arms, overwhelmed with emotion, as he said, “The playmaker. She’s been unleashed. Good job. You’re just getting started, kiddo.” It is impossible not to root for Van Lith, and TCU is quickly becoming a team that all basketball fans need to keep an eye on.

Kiki Iriafen

With the arrival of phenom JuJu Watkins, the USC Trojans are going all in. That means looking for ways to add help and they accomplished that by getting Iriafen to transfer from Stanford to USC this fall.

With Iriafen on the team, the Trojans add a versatile forward who can score and create her own shot. They severely lacked this ability last season, excluding Watkins, of course. Iriafen has had to adjust to playing with the high volume of shots Watkins takes but has done well, averaging 18.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

The Trojans are now a top-five team in the country, and with Iriafen getting more comfortable game by game, expect USC to be a favorite to reach the Final Four this season. The last time they made it that far was back in 1986.

Lucy Olsen

How do you replace Caitlin Clark? You don’t. Well, you have to, but with the understanding that she’s a generational talent and the next person will have a similar responsibility without the same expectation.

With Iowa entering a new era, they’ve brought Olsen, formerly of Villanova, to the fold. She has done well, averaging 19 points and 5.3 assists per game, leading the team in both categories.

The Hawkeyes are currently 9-1 and still a top-25 team, proving that while there has been a drop-off from last season, they’ve adjusted well and have fielded a competitive team.

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Liatu King

Not everyone can be the center of attention; others must be stars in their roles. King fits this description perfectly. Last year, she averaged 18.7 points per game for Pittsburgh, but as a Notre Dame player, she needs to do more of the grunt work, being an inside presence and cleaning up the glass. While her teammates Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo shine in the backcourt, she gets double-doubles in the frontcourt averaging 12.8 points and 11.5 rebounds a game this season.

Her addition has raised the ceiling of this Fighting Irish squad, which has now beaten three top-five teams. Conference play hasn’t started yet, but with King’s arrival, Notre Dame is primed to dominate ACC play this winter.

Aaronette Vonleh

Vonleh is having her best collegiate season as a Baylor Bear. After transferring from Colorado, Vonleh is averaging 14.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while providing some much-needed size to her guard-heavy team. Her efficiency is off the charts, making 63.3% of her shots.

Her addition has energized the program, and she was named Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year alongside Van Lith. Baylor is now one of the favorites to win the Big 12 and they have a consistent big they can rely on to compete against the best teams in the nation come March Madness time.