Watch: See what the buzz is about with Washington high school girls basketball phenom Hailey Van Lith

By Staff Report Jan 31, 2020, 10:54am

Kobe Bryant made the trip to tiny Cashmere to see future Louisville Cardinal play just two weeks before his untimely death.

Video: Hailey Van Lith highlights vs. King's
Senior star put up 39 points as Cashmere stayed unbeaten.

Cashmere (Wash.) is best known for apples and the high school's boys basketball program that won six state titles between 1972 and 1995.

But going forward, the small community of just over 3,000 residents will be known as the home of Hailey Van Lith.

The 5-foot-10 senior guard has transformed Cashmere's girls basketball program, which had never played for a state title prior to her arrival as a freshman in 2016. The Bulldogs reached the Class 1A championship game in 2017 and 2018, following up with a semifinal appearance and third place trophy in 2019.

Cashmere went 70-6 through Van Lith's first three years. She averaged 34.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in 2018-19 on the way to being named the Gatorade Washington Player of the Year.
McDonald's All-American Hailey Van Lith committed to Louisville in November.
McDonald's All-American Hailey Van Lith committed to Louisville in November.
Photo by Patrick Krohn
But the Louisville commit and her Bulldog teammates have dialed it up a notch this season, going 17-0 so far with several large school victims along the way and a tournament win in Oregon. Twelve of those victories have come by 20 points or more.



MaxPreps caught up with Van Lith and Cashmere last Saturday as they dominated fellow Class 1A contender King's (Seattle) 65-44. See the video above for a look at Van Lith's offensive arsenal in that contest as she went for 39 points – including 30 in the first half.

ESPNW has Van Lith pegged as a Top 10 prospect in the Class of 2020, but her broad appeal has certainly surpassed others ahead of her on that list. Her talent and fan-friendly game has filled gyms all over Washington. She even got a visit from the late Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna for a Jan. 11 contest at home against Medical Lake.

Cashmere paid tribute to Kobe and Gianna prior to Tuesday's win over Omak, reading a letter Van Lith wrote. See that touching moment here.

Van Lith and Cashmere take the floor next on Tuesday, Feb. 4 against Okanogan. Then it's on to the postseason and eventually the McDonald's All-American Game in Houston, where she will wrap up her high school career April 1.
Van Lith and teammates get ready for tip-off against King's on Jan. 25.
Van Lith and teammates get ready for tip-off against King's on Jan. 25.
Photo by Patrick Krohn