TCU’s Hailey Van Lith Keeps It Real About How God Helped Her Get Through Suicidal Thoughts

Hailey Van Lith kept it a bean.

The women’s college basketball superstar for the TCU Horned Frogs has revealed her battle with mental health struggles while she was dealing with fame as a youngster.

Things only ratcheted up for Van Lith as her career eventually took her into college basketball and the Olympics, where she would be in both a national and international spotlight. In college, her career began at Louisville before transferring over to LSU. Then, she would make another move to TCU, leading to Van Lith & Co. winning the Big 12 championship in the 2024-25 campaign.

After her team’s victory over Louisville, Van Lith kept it a buck about her mental health. (RELATED: Jim Nantz Reveals His Incredibly Special Moment Of Prayer Before The Masters)

“The way that I got exposed to the media and social media at such a young age, I really struggled with mental health things,” said Van Lith, per Sports Illustrated. “When I was younger and in college, I was suicidal, I was heavily medicated, and I felt trapped.

“You would never know because I was having a ton of success on the court, but internally, and in life in general, I was ready to be done. That’s what I mean when I speak on suffering and pain. It’s like I didn’t even want to live.”

That’s when Van Lith revealed that God got her through the rough patch.

“So, to come from that do this is incredible. 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,’ and I think this is the year and this is the moment that he wants people to know my story and how He has taken me literally from the depths of wanting to die to this moment of loving life. Even if basketball went away today, I truly would want to be here and love these people.”

WATCH:

“I’m really standing on God’s shoulders right now.”

Beautiful words from an emotional Hailey Van Lith after helping TCU reach its first-ever women’s Sweet 16. pic.twitter.com/BaXexepNqG

— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) March 24, 2025

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

It sounds like Hailey Van Lith is locked in now, and with TCU being in the Sweet 16, we very well may be looking at your next national champions in women’s college basketball.