Hailey Van Lith in Workout Gear Says "the Pen Has Officially Hit the Paper"

Hailey Van Lith, the basketball sensation making waves from LSU to TCU, recently made a slam-dunk announcement on Instagram, rocking her new jersey and captioning it with, "The pen has officially hit the paper." But how does she keep her game on point? Dive into these five tips straight from the court and beyond, along with some inspiring snapshots that showcase just how she stays at the top of her game.

1. She Plays Basketball

Basketball is naturally the main way Van Lith stays in shape. Fitness Advisory states that the sport has a lot of benefits. “Basketball requires you to jump while playing, as well as running back and forth multiple times. In a basketball game, you rely on your body positioning and the ability to maintain that position when an opponent is pushing against you. This is why playing basketball can strengthen all parts of your body, especially your core muscles, neck, lower back, and arms.”

2. She’s Pescatarian

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In a video, Van Lith revealed that she is a pescatarian. The Cleveland Clinic states that being pescatarian has a lot of benefits. “One of the main benefits of going pescatarian is replacing less healthy meats with heart-healthy fish. Most Americans don’t eat enough seafood, which contains high amounts of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Fruits and veggies also contain antioxidants, special compounds that lower your risk of getting heart disease. Adding these foods to a diet that’s higher in fish provides a double dose of heart health benefits. Another potential plus for your heart: Letting red meat go. Regularly eating red meat and pork increases your risk of heart disease. Red meat is also higher in calories and unhealthy fats than fish or plant-based foods.”

3. She Speaks Up

Van Lith isn’t afraid to speak up for causes that she believes in. In an interview with ESPN, she called out the racism that her teammate, Angel Reese, and other teammates of color received. "I'm in a unique situation where I see with myself, I'll talk trash and I'll get a different reaction than if Angel [Reese] talks trash. I have a duty to my teammates to have their back. Some of the words that were used in that article were very sad and upsetting. Calling us the dirty debutantes, that has nothing to do with sports. That's not motivating. But in my opinion, I know for a fact that people see us differently because we do have a lot of Black women on our team who have an attitude and like to talk trash and people feel a way about it. At the end of the day, I'm rocking with them because they don't let that change who they are. They stay true to themselves, and so I'll have their back."

4. She’s Tough

Van Lith opened up about the impact her father has had on her to NBC. “I think a lot of people see me as a hard-nosed, fiery, tough player who plays physical and my dad brought that out in me. He said this is a trait that would be very valuable to my career. He definitely set me up for success there from the toughness aspect of things. Our workouts were very intense. We had a lot of back and forth bickering but our relationship is is so much more than that and it’s grown so well. I am tough and I am smart and he’s helped me accept that. As a woman in my sport [he’s helped me] be okay with being vocal. That toughness that he showed me from a young age has helped me.”

5. She Takes Things One Day At A Time

Van Lith tells The LSU Wire that she takes basketball one day at a time. “I think it’s unprecedented, and we just gotta put one foot in front of the other, and I think you have to lean into the people that have been here and just accept the challenge,” Van Lith said. “I think it’s about mental toughness, true competitiveness, and knowing who you are. My motto for this year has been ‘Take one step every day.’ Sometimes I have bad games, but the next morning I get up and take another step. It’s hard, but that’s why I came here.”