Louisville basketball star Hailey Van Lith doesn’t find motivation from negative events or negative words. Instead, her motivation comes from a much higher power.
Last week, following Louisville’s defeat of Texas in the women’s NCAA tournament, Louisville star Hailey Van Lith went to shake hands with Texas’ Sonya Morris. Almost as soon as Van Lith got there, Morris said something to Van Lith that clearly irked the Louisville star. In the video, it appeared that Morris had told Van Lith she was “honorable mention.”
Van Lith and Louisville’s journey to the national championship is now over, courtesy of a loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. But the Cardinal’s leading-scorer wasn’t done making headlines. In the post-game press conference, Van Lith was asked if she would use her team’s loss in the Final Four as motivation or next year. The Louisville star made it clear she did not need the loss to Iowa to find motivation.
“I’ll be completely honest. I’m not motivated by external factors. I’m motivated by myself and I always have been. If we woulda won the national championship this year, I woulda had the same amount of motivation in me and that’s just who I am,” she said.
“I’m not motivated at all by the fact that they named me honorable mention. I know who I am and I know what God thinks I am. God doesn’t think I’m an honorable mention. I’ll tell you that right now. I don’t need external motivation.”
Hailey Van Lith #10 of the Louisville Cardinals reacts during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Van Lith scored 27 points in the losing effort to Iowa and averaged nearly 20 points a game during the season.
Returning to Louisville next year is a definite possibility for Van Lith. However, she could also opt to go to the WNBA. Whatever she decides to do, it doesn’t sound like motivation is going to be an issue.