Inside Hailey Van Lith’s Basketball Roots Meet the Parents Who Built a WNBA Star

Raised in the tiny town of Wenatchee, Washington, Hailey Van Lith’s parents, Corey and Jessica Van Lith, played a significant role in her ascent to national basketball fame. Although Hailey’s on-court accomplishments frequently take center stage, the tale of her upbringing starts at home, where her mother’s strength and her father’s discipline produced an incredibly successful foundation.

Former University of Puget Sound athlete Corey Van Lith recognized early on the type of structure required for success. He established a rigorous nightly training schedule for his daughter, beginning long before she had even started high school, as an alternative to depending on outside coaches. While other children were playing video games, Hailey was practicing her skills and cardio, imitating Kobe Bryant’s unwavering spirit and learning from legends like Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. Constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility, this father-daughter team developed into something remarkably akin to Venus and Richard Williams: meticulousness, planning, and a hint of obsession.

Jessica provided balance, which was just as important as Corey’s athletic foundation. She helped Hailey develop a sense of faith, mental clarity, and personal accountability while running the family’s custom home building business and the home. Hailey has been outspoken about her Christian faith in recent years; she even referred to her baptism in 2023 as the “best day of my life.” She has been able to handle the highs and lows of professional sports with unexpected emotional stability thanks to her deeply ingrained sense of self, which is strikingly evident in her interviews.

Hailey was given the tools and mental toughness to succeed through well-planned routines and constant support. By the time she was a teenager, people all over the country were taking notice of her performances. She broke the Washington state scoring record at Cashmere High School and did so with a GPA that earned her numerous academic honors. At a time when many young athletes are drawn to one-dimensional career tracks, this duality—athletic prowess and academic focus—felt especially novel.

As she moved through three prestigious college programs, the impact of her parents became even more apparent. Hailey continuously adjusted, first to the championship culture at LSU, then to the high-pressure ACC courts at Louisville, and finally to TCU, where she blossomed into one of the Big 12’s most dominant players. She maintained her drive and humility, qualities that were probably ingrained in her from years of family dinners and lengthy road trips to tournaments throughout the Pacific Northwest.

It’s important to note that high-achieving female athletes are increasingly adopting this parenting approach, which is not only successful. You need look no farther than Sabrina Ionescu’s childhood under the watchful eye of her father Dan or Caitlin Clark’s training under her father Brent. These parents produced thinkers, leaders, and believers in addition to athletes. The Van Liths remarkably fit that same description—coaches, confidants, and unwavering mentors.

The Van Lith family created something incredibly dependable by combining academic excellence, athletic coaching, and emotional intelligence: a champion who maintains his groundedness. Hailey continued to be outspoken about her faith and purposeful in her community service during the pandemic years, when mental health issues among collegiate athletes increased. Her 2023 donation of $30,000 to a Louisville children’s technology program demonstrated both appreciation and foresight. This was personal, not a marketing gimmick.

Hailey’s career has taken off outside of the NCAA in recent years. Her achievements on international stages, particularly her gold-winning performance at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup and her bronze-winning performance at the 2024 Olympics, further cemented her elite status. Her constant capacity to develop, lead, and change with every obstacle, however, has defined her more than any medal. That isn’t a coincidence. It’s a generational issue.

The importance of her family has never been minimized. Her parents’ influence was evident in her poise and demeanor even when she was selected by the Chicago Sky with the 11th overall pick in 2025. She embodied a system that has proven to be incredibly effective: raise with intention, support with consistency, and empower with love. She represented more than just personal ambition as she walked the WNBA orange carpet with a bold, self-assured stride.

Hailey Van Lith stands out for her focus in the current sports environment, where even the most gifted athletes can be derailed by sponsorships, social media, and media pressure. Despite landing big contracts with Adidas, JCPenney, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, she is particularly grounded. She frequently brings up faith, family, and giving back in her interviews. This type of centeredness is uncommon and typically indicates a sense of familiarity.