College basketball star stuns in snaps from SI Swimsuit debut

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Hailey Van Lith is used to making her opponents’ heads turn on court, when she blows by them towards the basket.

Now, the TCU star is turning heads with her stunning photoshoot for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.

The 5-foot-9 guard, who led the Horned Frogs to their first ever Elite Eight appearance during this year’s NCAA women’s tournament, made her SI Swimsuit debut as the outlet’s digital cover star for April.

Van Lith modelled a variety of swimsuits for the photoshoot, which took place at the Crescent Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas — also the home of TCU.

The blonde bombshell showed off her athletic figure in several colourful bikinis, as well as a black one-piece by Saint Laurent, which was shown on the digital cover.

“I feel sexy, cute and athletic. You can be strong and beautiful and all athletes should feel empowered,” she said.

SI Swimsuit had teased her photoshoot’s release on Monday, posting a video of Van Lith tossing a bedazzled basketball with the Big 12 conference logo.

“Growing up, you always see like, hyper-feminine, very small, very slender women as the most beautiful and like, that’s what your goal is, to look like,” Van Lith said. “But as I’ve grown up and, you know, figured out who I am through sports and other things in life, finding my balance between being feminine and also bringing in my masculine side … I think that that’s kind of where I define beauty.”

The caption by SI for Van Lith’s cover shoot listed the 23-year-old’s many on-court accolades: An Olympic medal, 2025 Big 12 Championship MVP, Player and Newcomer of the Year.

Van Lith also made NCAA history this year, becoming the first player – men’s or women’s — to make five Elite Eight appearances, after having previously played for Louisville and LSU.

“This wasn’t a comeback year … because I never thought I left,” she said.

Van Lith has used her stardom on the court to garner a massive following off it, too.

The Washington native boasts more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram and more than half a million on TikTok.

“Growing up in the frame of social media, I 100% felt pressured as when I was 15, 16, and I first started blowing up,” she said. “My thighs were too big, my hair was too short, I had too much acne … it’s hard when you’re not young, you’re not mature enough to form your own perspective without the opinions of other people.

“Now that I’ve matured and had more experiences, I feel so much more authentic.”

With the WNBA draft next week, Van Lith is ready for the next step in her career. According to mock drafts, the collegiate star could even hear her name called in the top 10.