Hailey Van Lith Is Strong, Confident and Still Figuring it Out—That’s What Makes Her Beautiful

The NCAA basketball star and SI Swimsuit digital issue cover star talks letting go of beauty standards and feeling powerful in her own skin.

Hailey Van Lith was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne in Fort Worth, Texas. Swimsuit by Vitamin A Swim. / Taylor Ballantyne/Sports Illustrated

Hailey Van Lith has always known how to compete. Now, she’s learning how to simply be. The TCU basketball star has long been recognized for her intensity on the court, her quickness and control with the ball and an edge that sets her apart. But beyond the stat lines and highlight reels, the 23-year-old is also someone who takes pride in her appearance, her values and the ongoing process of defining beauty on her own terms.

Today, she makes her SI Swimsuit debut as the cover star of April’s digital issue. Photographed by Taylor Ballantyne in Fort Worth, Texas, the athlete embodies a fierce and evolving woman who has embraced every version of herself—and fits seamlessly into the SI Swimsuit sisterhood.

“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,” she tells the magazine. “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."

https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1744042868/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jr8gwecw8zc42tpzxh.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1743979619/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jr6mj40ve115xdknjp.jpg. View the Full Gallery. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1743979619/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jr6mj40vwmkpwmbc4r.jpg. More Hailey Van Lith. More Hailey Van Lith Content . Read the Cover Story

Now Van Lith is embracing duality—gritty and glamorous, grounded but always growing—and learning that power doesn’t come from fitting into a mold, but rather from standing firmly outside of one.

“I have more good days than bad days”

Van Lith was still a teenager when she started attracting national attention. A five-star recruit out of Cashmere High School in Washington, her skill and swagger earned her a spot at Louisville. With a growing social media following and mounting expectations, she found herself navigating her teenage years in the public eye—before she had the tools to process what that meant.

“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 says. “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.”

The constant stream of criticism took a toll, especially when her body—powerful, athletic, built for sport—didn’t fit traditional beauty standards. But with time and experience, Van Lith’s self-perception shifted. She began tuning out the noise and listening to herself instead.

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

That authenticity didn’t come easily. Even now, the work continues. “I still struggle with it,” she admits. “But I have more good days than bad days. You know, I’m proud of myself.”

Hailey Van Lith was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne in Fort Worth, Texas. Swimsuit by WeWoreWhat. / Taylor Ballantyne/Sports Illustrated

The role of faith and sports in her identity

Van Lith’s confidence also stems from something deeper: her faith. In the face of pressure and self-doubt, her relationship with God has helped her stay steady.

“Having a foundation of scripture and my relationship with God has really helped me embrace who I was born to be,” she says. “So there’s nothing a part of me that I should be ashamed of.”

While the court is a place to compete, for Van Lith, it is also where she feels the most powerful.

“It’s hard because my playing style is so tenacious and like gritty and tough,” she says. “But when I’m in a flow state and in a rhythm on the basketball court, I feel so powerful; confidence is high. I feel pretty... like I know my pictures are gonna [turn out] fire after the game.”

That sense of beauty in motion is something she’s come to recognize as real and lasting. And just as important are the people she’s met along the way: “Through the sport... I’ve also met so many other girls who have the same experiences as me, and, you know, fellow female athletes who have uplifted me and helped me navigate this journey.”

Hailey Van Lith was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne in Fort Worth, Texas. Swimsuit by LSPACE. Jeans by Dries Van Noten. / Taylor Ballantyne/Sports Illustrated

After leading Louisville to the Final Four in 2022 and being named Most Outstanding Player of the Wichita Regional, Van Lith’s season ended in a hard-fought semifinal loss. She then transferred to LSU for what many expected to be a breakout year. But following another tough loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight and growing speculation around her WNBA draft stock, she made the decision to transfer again—this time to TCU. It marked a turning point, both personally and professionally, prompting reflection on who she was playing for and how she wanted to show up in the world.

Reflecting on the mindset that carried her through moments like that, she says, “I had to make a choice like, am I gonna put 10 toes down on myself and fully be me, or am I gonna try and get out of this by being someone else? I had to look myself in the mirror, and at the end of the day, I chose to bet on myself. I think it’s paying off so far.”

It’s safe to say she was right—Van Lith just helped lead TCU to one of its best seasons in recentprogram history, proving she thrives when she is simply just herself. And now, as she steps into the spotlight with SI Swimsuit, she’s celebrating not just how far she’s come, but who she’s become along the way.