Hailey Van Lith, LSU guard, defended her team against racial bias after a Los Angeles Times article labeled them “dirty debutantes.” Van Lith, acknowledging the presence of black teammates, highlighted the racism they face, emphasizing her duty to support them. She criticized the article’s derogatory language and its failure to motivate the team.

“We do have a lot of Black women on this team, and unfortunately, that bias does exist still today, and a lot of the people that are making those comments are being racist towards my teammates,” Van Lith, who is white, said. “I’m in a unique situation where I see with myself, I’ll talk trash and I’ll get a different reaction than if Angel [Reese] talks trash. I have a duty to my teammates to have their back. Some of the words that were used in that article were very sad and upsetting.

Coach Kim Mulkey echoed Van Lith’s sentiments, condemning the article’s portrayal of the matchup against UCLA as sexist and wrong. Van Lith, reflecting on her experiences, noted a history of racial bias, both in her past and present, including during her time at Louisville and in her hometown. She stressed the importance of speaking out against racism, given her unique perspective.

Teammate Angel Reese expressed resilience in the face of negative perceptions, stating that criticism only motivates the team further. The Los Angeles Times later edited the article, removing offensive language, but has yet to respond to further inquiries.

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