Hailey Van Lith #10 looks on against the Louisville Cardinals in the second half of a Second Round game of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament at Schollmaier Arena on March 23, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas.
College basketball star Hailey Van Lith spoke candidly about her struggles with mental health.
During an interview in TCU’s locker room shared on X on March 23, Van Lith, 23, said she was “exposed to the media and social media at such a young age,” which led her to “struggle with mental health things.”
“When I was younger and in college, I was suicidal, I was heavily medicated and I felt trapped,” Van Lith shared. “And 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.”
Van Lith continued, “And so that’s what I mean when I speak on suffering and pain. It’s like I didn’t even want to live.”
Now that she’s worked on overcoming some of those struggles, Van Lith — who posted 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in TCU’s win over her former school, Louisville, on March 23 — can see how far she’s come. “To come from that to this is incredible,” she said in the interview after the win.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Hailey Van Lith #10 of the TCU Horned Frogs brings the ball up court on March 23, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. Cooper Neill/NCAA
The basketball star said she looked to her faith to overcome those harder days in the spotlight. “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,” she said.
“He wants people to know my story,” she added. “He’s just taken me literally from the depths of wanting to die to this moment of loving life. And even if basketball went away today, I truly would want to be here and love these people.”
Van Lith rose to college basketball fame at Louisville, taking the Cardinals to a Final Four appearance and two Elite Eights before playing one season with the LSU Tigers under coach Kim Mulkey.
Now in her fifth and final year of eligibility, Van Lith is hoping to take TCU all the way in the March Madness tournament.
Van Lith and the rest of the TCU Horned Frogs will play Notre Dame in the next round on Saturday, March 29.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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