Hailey Van Lith can add swimsuit model to her list of accomplishments after being the face of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue for 2025. She joins a list of legendary athletes such as Olivia Dunne, Breanna Stewart, and Simone Biles to model for the yearly issue.
This is quite the feat for Van Lith, as it exposes her to a new and different audience that might not be familiar with her athletic career. She is trading in the high stakes of college basketball for a new avenue in swimsuit modeling, and she opened up about the challenges with it.
Hailey Van Lith’s Thoughts on Sports Illustrated Modeling Gig
Van Lith is having an incredible 2025, and we are only a quarter of the way through the year. The 5’9” fifth-year senior out of TCU won Big 12 Player of the Year, led the TCU Horned Frogs to their first ever Elite Eight, and could be a potential top-10 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.
She is the all-time leader in games played in women’s college basketball and is the first player to lead three different schools to a Sweet 16 berth, having also done so at the University of Louisville and LSU.
Even though it may seem that many athletes would jump at the opportunity to be the cover model for Sports Illustrated, Van Lith opened up about her initial reservations. According to SI, Van Lith said, “I was intimidated. I didn’t know if I would be comfortable in that kind of setting, but I wanted to try something that I had never tried. I would regret it a lot if I let my insecurities or my reservations hold me back from it.”
Van Lith has been vocal about her mental health, and it is refreshing to see that she has the same insecurities as everybody else. She has helped normalize being scared to pose in front of a camera, and that makes her all the more relatable. Her candidness about feeling intimidated is significant, as it serves as a powerful reminder that confidence is not always a given just because you are a star athlete.
Her willingness to share her vulnerability humanizes her beyond her athletic achievements and represents the courage it takes not only to face challenges on the court or in front of the camera but also to confront personal insecurities under a different spotlight. Ultimately, her photoshoot and her honesty about her journey stand as a testament to pushing boundaries and embracing the multiple facets that make her truly great.