Louisville beat Texas 73-51 on Monday to advance to the Sweet 16 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
As the two teams lined up to shake hands, Cardinals junior guard Hailey Van Lith and Longhorns junior Sonya Morris were seen tweeting at each other.
Morris, who was in the Texas front row, leaned over to talk to Van Lith as the pair shared a handshake.
Although he seemed polite at first, Van Lith seemed frustrated and lashed out.
Van Lith was caught saying something as he continued to shake hands with the Texas players.
It’s unclear what was said or what exactly sparked the fiery moment at Austin’s Moody Center.
“I think there was some frustration going on,” Van Lith told the Courier-Journal when asked what he said in the postgame handshake line. “I will not let anyone disrespect me. But my teammates had my back. And I have nothing bad to say.
I don’t know what was said here. But here’s Hailey Van Lith walking through the high five line with Texas. Sonya Morris was on the Longhorns front row to talk to Van Lith. pic.twitter.com/YqvnmwiRdn
— Tyler Greever (@Tyler_Greever) March 21, 2023
Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith and Texas’ Sonya Morris exchange words after the Cardinals advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tournament on March 20, 2023. Twitter
Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith and Texas’ Sonya Morris exchange words after the Cardinals advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tournament on March 20, 2023. Twitter
“They train a lot. They have great players. So what is People are sad when they lose, I would be sad too.’
Louisville forward Olivia Cochran yelled “We’ve got your back!” When asked about the exchange with Van Lith Morris.
Van Lith led the Cardinals with 21 points, and Morris had two points for the Longhorns.
Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith and Texas’ Sonya Morris exchange words after the Cardinals advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tournament on March 20, 2023. Twitter
Van Lith, who played all 40 minutes of the game, added three assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The 21-year-old has scored 20 or more points in five of Louisville’s last seven games.
“So what I’m proud of this last month and a half, he let the game come to him,” Cardinals coach Jeff Walz said of Van Lith. “He was patient, and when we play like that, it’s pretty impressive.”
Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish KFC YUM! Center on February 26, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. Getty Images
The win propelled Louisville to its sixth consecutive March Madness trip to the Sweet 16.
Van Lith is among the first 15 women’s college athletes signed by Adidas as a brand representative in August 2022, and the only basketball player.
Louisville advanced to eighth-seeded Ole Miss, which upset top-seeded Stanford in the second round on Saturday in Seattle.