Hailey Van Lith and Madison Conner were two key guards for the Frogs this season.
TCU Women’s Basketball recently wrapped up the most successful season in program history, where the Frogs earned a two seed in March Madness, advanced all the way to the Elite Eight, collected both the regular season and tournament Big 12 Championships, and set a new program record for wins in a season with 34. TCU started the season unranked but climbed all the way to number six in the final AP Poll rankings.
Mark Campbell and TCU have been very active in the transfer portal this offseason, gearing up for another run. But before we look ahead to next year, we will recap each position group from the 2024-25 season, beginning with the guards.
Hailey Van Lith
One of the most sought-after transfers last offseason was Hailey Van Lith and Mark Campbell shocked the women’s college basketball world when he secured a commitment from the superstar point guard. Coming off a down year while playing shooting guard at LSU, Van Lith was handed the keys to the TCU offense and more than lived up to expectations, leading one of the most prolific offenses in the nation at 76.7 points per game, which ranked 28th in the nation at the end of the season.
Van Lith was surgical while running the pick and roll with Sedona Prince as both a scorer and a passer. Van Lith had no trouble getting to her spots to knock down mid-range jumpers, finding Prince on the roll, or finding open shooters when the defense collapsed on the paint. Van Lith led TCU in scoring and assists with 17.9 points and 5.4 assists per game. One of the underrated aspects of her game was her willingness to battle for rebounds despite being somewhat undersized, averaging 4.6 rebounds per game.
Van Lith is a true three-level scorer who can shoot the three off the catch and the dribble, has a rock-solid midrange game, and is crafty when finishing around the rim. When defenses made adjustments to face guard Van Lith and deny her the ball, she displayed excellent off-ball movement to cut and get easy layups. Van Lith is a showstopping offensive talent.
While Van Lith is not the most physical on-ball defender, she plays with a high motor on the defensive end and has quick hands to rack up deflections and steals, as she led the team with 1.2 steals per game. HVL had the best individual season in TCU Women’s Basketball history, is a projected first-round draft pick, and is more than deserving of an A+ grade.
Grade: A+
Madison Conner
While Madison Conner was not originally as notable a transfer as Hailey Van Lith, Conner was an incredibly important player for the Frogs during her two seasons in Fort Worth, developing into the best shooter in college basketball. Conner shot a deadly 44.9 percent from three this past season on 7.5 attempts from deep per game. Conner led the nation in three-pointers made this season and did so with excellent efficiency.
Conner was a true three-point weapon in her two seasons with the Frogs, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in her senior season. Conner’s three-point shooting became even more important as defenses looked to take away the two-man game between Prince and Van Lith. Conner showcased a great feel for floor spacing, moving off-ball to open space on the floor, and making herself available when defenses sent extra help to guard the pick-and-roll. As defenses adjusted to close out harder on Conner and run her off the three-point line, she made adjustments and flashed solid ball handling ability and a willingness to attack the paint off the catch.
Her ability to find open teammates is an underrated part of her game, as she was second on the team in assists. Connor was a strong secondary pick-and-roll ball handler for the Frogs, putting defenses in conflict by making them choose between going over the screen to prevent her from taking a three or going under the screen to prevent Prince from getting the ball deep in the paint. Connor was a key part of the turnaround of the TCU Women’s Basketball program and leaves as the best shooter in program history.
Grade: A
Donovyn Hunter
There was not enough attention paid to the pickup of Donovyn Hunter from the transfer portal last offseason. Hunter was a very important part of the run to the Elite Eight as she became TCU’s primary point of attack defender and provided much-needed secondary ball handling to take pressure off Van Lith and Conner. Standing at 6 feet tall, Hunter provided size and physicality to an undersized group of guards that was very necessary, especially in defensive games such as the last two matchups with Baylor.
Hunter is more than willing to take on tough defensive assignments and held her own against several opposing scorers this season. Perhaps the biggest example was the game against Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen, where Hunter was a huge part of the defensive effort that held Hannah Hidalgo to 3-19 shooting from the field.
Hunter saw her shooting percentages jump from her freshman to her sophomore campaign, increasing her field goal percentage from 41.6 to 44.6, her three-point percentage from 33.3 to 34, and her free throw shooting percentage from 60.7 to 74.1. Hunter shot the ball better down the stretch of the season, too, knocking down three of five attempts from three in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game and making all four of her three-point attempts in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Louisville.
Hunter taking another jump in her three-point shooting would be a great development for TCU next season. While not a prolific scorer, Hunter found other ways to help TCU win this season as a defender and opportunistic offensive player.
Grade: B
Una Jovanovic
Una Jovanovic went from starting all but one game for TCU last season to averaging just 11 minutes in 23 games this season, but demonstrated resiliency in staying ready and providing solid minutes when Mark Campbell called her number. Jovanovic played an important role for the Frogs in giving Van Lith and Conner more rest during the middle of the season when TCU was struggling with fatigue down the stretch of games.
While Jovanovic did not get as many minutes this season as she did last season, her veteran presence and readiness to play when given the opportunity were impactful for the Frogs this season.
Grade: C
Overall
The backcourt was very important to Mark Campbell’s pick-and-roll-heavy offensive system, with two guards averaging at least 14 points per game and three assists per game. The offense ran through the guards, and they guided the best offense in program history. The losses of Van Lith, Conner, and Jovanovic left a large hole on the roster, but Campbell has wasted no time in filling it, securing a commitment from star transfer Olivia Miles. Miles was a projected top-five pick in the WNBA draft this season before entering the transfer portal. Miles, Hunter, and Maddie Scherr, who transferred to TCU last offseason from Kentucky before missing the season with injury, form one of the most formidable backcourt groups in the nation, and the Frogs should have plenty of production from their guards next season.
Cumulative Grade: A