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Asking Eric: Mother grieving over loss of daughter from cancer

Dear Eric: My beautiful best friend/daughter passed away from breast cancer seven months ago. I was her caregiver for almost three years and am devastated by losing her.

I have tried a couple times after she passed away to start writing thank-you cards to those who sent flowers, did food drop-offs and visited. But I end up hysterical and simply put it aside for another day. I have given a few cards to her best friends and thanked others via personal messages on social media.

Is it ever considered too late to send thank-you cards acknowledging those who were there for my daughter and myself during her illness and funeral services and how much I appreciated them?

– Still in Grief

Dear Still in Grief: I’m so sorry for the loss of your daughter. You’ve been through something awful and there’s no timetable for how you navigate this period after. And that includes thank-you notes. So, short answer: it’s never too late to send them.

You also don’t have to send them at all. Grief is seismic, it’s ever evolving, and it changes the course of our lives. Often, the basic things in life – eating, paying bills – become a challenge. And those who know us, or know how all-encompassing grief can be, understand that. So, trust that your friends and loved ones aren’t sitting by the mailbox waiting for your reply to their gesture. Even if there are people in your circle who are waiting for a thank-you note, or an acknowledgement that what they did made a difference, it can come on your schedule.

The main priority is that you allow yourself the time you need to heal. Your response to the notes you’ve tried to write is telling you what you really need. It’s not the time yet. And if it’s never the time, that’s OK, too. Those who reached out weren’t looking for thanks; they wanted to provide you comfort. It’s right to find solace in that comfort now without asking more of yourself.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

General

Jeffrey Epstein victim hit by bus in Australia: ‘They have given me four days to live’

Virginia Giuffre — whose story about being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager put her at the center of one of the biggest sex scandals in history — is fighting for her life following a car accident in Australia.

Giuffre, 41, on Sunday posted a graphic photo of herself from her hospital bed covered in bruises on Instagram, where she wrote doctors said she has four days to live, according to the post, which was first published by the British media.

“I’ve gone into kidney renal failure,” she said. “They have given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist in urology. I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time…”

She said she was struck by a speeding bus after she tried to swerve her car to avoid the collision. She did not say when or where the crash happened.

Giuffre was among the first and most outspoken victims of Jeffrey Epstein to speak out about her abuse by Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Prince Andrew and several other prominent men. She later formed a non-profit to educate and advocate for sex trafficking victims.

‘EVERYTHING CHANGED’

Born in Sacramento, California, Giuffre had been sexually abused since she was a child. She is the daughter of Lynn Trude Cabell and Sky William Roberts, who wrote on social media that he was praying for his daughter’s recovery.

When she was in grade school, the family moved to Loxahatchee, Florida. At age 7, she was first molested by a family friend. The abuse, she said, “turned my entire life around. Everything changed.”

She began running away from home, at one point, hitching a ride to San Francisco. She was 14 when she was picked up on the streets of Miami by the owner of a modeling agency who began trafficking her. After his arrest, she returned home to Loxahatchee, and began working at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach country club owned by President Donald Trump where her father was a maintenance supervisor.

In 2000, when she was 16, she met Maxwell, Epstein’s partner, while working as a spa attendant at the club. Giuffre, who uses the nickname Jenna, was introduced by Maxwell to Epstein, who sexually abused and trafficked her for years.

Among the people she said she was forced to have sex with was Prince Andrew, whom she later sued. The suit was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, said to be in the millions, though Andrew denied that he was ever involved with Giuffre. He was later stripped of his military titles and royal patronages.

She fled Epstein’s control in 2002, married an Australian martial arts instructor, Robert Giuffre, and moved to Australia. The couple has three children who are now teenagers.

PALM BEACH INVESTIGATION

While she was getting settled in Australia, police in Palm Beach began investigating Epstein in 2005. Several girls reported that they had been recruited to give him massages at his Palm Beach mansion and instead were sexually abused. The case grew as more high school girls told investigators that they had been abused by Epstein as teenagers.

But Barry Krischer, the Palm Beach State Attorney at the time, didn’t want to prosecute Epstein, who had a long list of powerful friends, including former president Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

The case was referred to the FBI in 2007. But Epstein escaped federal charges when a secret plea deal was reached between his high-powered lawyers and the U.S. Attorney in Miami, Alex Acosta. Acosta allowed Epstein to plead guilty to less serious state charges, and Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in the Palm Beach County jail in 2008. During that time, however, he was allowed to come and go almost freely, spending most days at his office or his home in Palm Beach.

Giuffre was initially reluctant to cooperate with the FBI probe. But in 2010, after the birth of her daughter, she reached out to the Justice Department again in the hopes that she would get justice.

In 2011, Giuffre told the British tabloid Mail on Sunday that she was a victim of a vast sex trafficking operation run by Epstein and Maxwell in which she traveled to and from Epstein’s various homes in Manhattan, New Mexico, Palm Beach, France and to his island off of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands where she had sex with multiple men, including Prince Andrew. Maxwell denied the allegations and sued Giuffre for defamation. Giuffre countersued in federal court in New York.

EPSTEIN GETS SWEETHEART DEAL

The 2015 defamation case was settled two years later and most of the evidence was sealed. The Miami Herald sued that same year to unseal the entire case file as part of its investigative series “Perversion of Justice,” published in 2018. Giuffre was interviewed as part of the series, along with three other victims. The story caught the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York, which opened a new probe into Epstein’s sex trafficking.

Epstein was subsequently arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges brought in New York. But he was found dead in his jail cell a month later, just one day after some of the evidence in the defamation case was unsealed. His death was ruled a suicide, although his brother and a private forensic pathologist who was at the autopsy remain convinced his death was not a suicide.

Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 and convicted of child sex trafficking a few years later. Now 63, she is serving a 20-year jail sentence.

In recent years, Giuffre has advocated the release of the Epstein case files, which the FBI has kept mostly sealed for almost 20 years. Trump, elected to a second term as president in 2024, has promised to unseal the files, but his attorney general, Pam Bondi, was widely ridiculed in March when she led the public to believe she was releasing substantial evidence, then only released a binder of dated material that was already public.

TRAUMA, HEALTH ISSUES

In recent years, Giuffre has focused on her non-profit and leading a quiet life in Australia. She has been estranged from her husband and children, posting on Instagram a week ago: “My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them and they’re being poisoned with lies,” she wrote.

Giuffre has also spoken a lot about how trauma has affected her well being. She has been ill off and on over the years, and frequently posts about her mental and physical health struggles on social media.

Dini von Mueffling, Giuffre’s representative, confirmed Virginia’s accident in a statement.

“Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending.”

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General

If Canada becomes a state, US will ‘never have a Republican president’ again, politician warns

A prominent Canadian politician told conservatives in Florida that if President Trump succeeds in making Canada the United States’ 51st state, voters up north would make sure no Republican ever lives in the White House again.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shared her theory with conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro during a Florida fundraising event.

“That would be like adding another California to your electoral system, and [you] would never have a Republican president in the White House again,” the United Conservative Party leader said in a private speech delivered last week, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Smith reportedly said Canadians have “hurt feelings” after Trump insulted their former leader by referring to him as a governor and slapped tariffs on goods coming over the United States’ borders. She also suggested that compared to Americans, Canadians tend to lean liberal, which may not work out well for the GOP when elections roll around.

With its population of just under 40 million people, California is represented by 52 lawmakers in the House of Representatives — 43 of whom are Democrats. Both of the state’s Senators sit on the same side of the aisle.

Canada, which is home to roughly 41 million citizens, would presumably be represented by at least that many members of Congress if it became a U.S. state. Considering that nation’s relatively progressive sensibilities, getting Canadians to support the Republican party would appear to be a heavy lift.

“So I would just caution you that it’s probably best for us to just stay friends, and friends should never move in together,” Smith told Republicans in Florida.

Shapiro reportedly agreed that conservatives in Canada would probably have a stronger showing in April’s Canadian elections if Trump scaled back a looming trade war.

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General

Redstone gun arrests, CHOOSE Act deadline: Down in Alabama

Gun arrests at Redstone

When the state’s permitless-carry law went into effect, it meant that Alabamians, in Alabama, no longer need a permit to carry a concealed weapon or take their legal firearm in a vehicle. It did not mean, however, that people can bring their guns to military bases.

AL.com’s Finn Lincoln reports that since that law took effect at the beginning of 2023, 99 people have been arrested for allegedly illegally taking guns to Redstone Arsenal. The frequency of the arrests is higher than at even the larger military bases in Alabama, and it’s been going up. There have been 37 already this year.

Why that’s the case is up for debate, but Redstone Deputy Police Chief Dennis Brown points to Redstone’s high percentage of non-military commuters and the base’s aggressive approach on the issue.

Brown said most of the cases involve external contractors who don’t work on the base, and even people who are lost. It’s a federal misdemeanor to bring an unapproved firearm onto the base, but in some cases the charges get a lot more serious when you also mix in possession of narcotics, drunk driving or outstanding tickets and warrants.

Finn spoke with a couple of people who said they mistakenly ended up at Redstone Arsenal with a firearm and spent hours or even days in jail while their cases were investigated and sorted out.

CHOOSE Act deadline

Parents of school-age children who’d like to use the state’s new school-choice option: You have one more week to apply for an education savings account, reports AL.com’s Rebecca Griesbach.

As you may recall, the CHOOSE Act provides students up to $7,000 in tax credits to be used for tuition to a private school, with lesser amounts available for home-schooled students.

The application process closes April 7 for next school year.

There are criteria that will give some students priority. The first 500 ESAs will go to students with disabilities. Others with some advantage in the distribution are some children of active-duty military members, siblings of other students in the program and low-income students.

Out-of-state abortions

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled that the Alabama attorney general can’t prosecute people or groups who help women travel outside the state in order to have an abortion, reports The Associated Press.

There haven’t been any such criminal cases, but state AG Steve Marshall had said he would be looking at whether helping an out-of-state abortion take place would violate the state’s criminal conspiracy laws. The Yellowhammer Fund, which assists those seeking abortions, and some medical providers then sued Marshall over the issue.

In his ruling, Thompson said that prosecuting those cases would violate the First Amendment and the right to travel.

Storm injuries

Two students were injured at Dothan Preparatory Academy as Monday’s storms rolled through, reports AL.com’s Carol Robinson.

The storm did include a tornado warning. The National Weather Service will investigate the effects of the storm to decide whether to confirm that it was a tornado that hit the school, damaged a roof and caused debris to fall.

The students were treated on the scene by paramedics.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1853 or 1854, self-taught artist Bill Traylor of Dallas County. Born into slavery, he moved at a young age to a Lowndes County plantation, where he stayed on after the war to work as a sharecropper. Late in his life he moved to Montgomery and started drawing and painting, developing a style that, along with a life experience that’s extremely rare among prolific artists, caused his legacy to take off decades after his death in 1949.

The podcast

General

Southeast Alabama under a dense fog advisory until Tuesday morning – limited visibility

At 3:06 a.m. on Tuesday, the National Weather Service released a dense fog advisory in effect until 9 a.m. for Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston counties.

The weather service says to prepare for, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”

“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” comments the weather service. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.”

Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels

If a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility often drops to just a quarter-mile or less. These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.

If you must drive in foggy conditions, keep the following safety tips in mind:

Moderate your speed:

Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility priority:

Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.

Avoid high-beams:

Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.

Keep your distance:

Maintain a significant following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.

Visibility near zero:

In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.

Limited parking options:

If no parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far to the roadside as possible. Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these recommendations from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

General

Today’s daily horoscopes: April 1, 2025

Freud said, “There are no jokes,” but whether he said it with a straight face or a gleam in his eye is a detail that’s eluded documentation. Today’s April Foolin’ will touch on truths that catch us off guard. Whether by delight, annoyance or other, surprise is the pulse of life itself — the unexpected rush is what makes the ride worth taking.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). How exactly does this plane of existence work? Is destiny a puppet master pulling strings, a mathematical equation charting odds, a poem sent to heavenly realms on the neck of a pigeon? Whatever theory you claim, the day will seem to prove it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Not enjoying the work? It’s probably not the task — it’s the gap between what you know and what you need to know. Frustration is just the feeling of skill loading. Stick with it, stay curious, and soon, it’ll click.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Criticism isn’t a sign you should quit. The teacher is more likely to criticize a student with potential than one without. Hang in there with a willingness to try things a few different ways. And remember, teachers make mistakes, too.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Silk and denim garments both cover you, but one demands delicate care while the other can take a beating. Expensive tastes require sacrifice — whether in upkeep, exclusivity or sheer effort. The question is: Is the trade worth it?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It’s easy to see the flaws of others, but it takes an emotionally mature person to see what’s going on in oneself. Perhaps “flaw” isn’t the most helpful word — “adaptation” is better. Everyone is doing their best in this complex obstacle course.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). While most people wait for a reason to dive deep, you’ve always had the instinct to do it unprompted. No external push, just the steady call of your inner world, ready to measure what you have within. And here you go again …

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll be enriched by the stories and information others share with you. But how do you open the vault? One excellent question is the key. This question will be casual, though it happens to hit where the lock is.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Everyone cares what other people think of them to some degree and often will go to great lengths to hide their concerns. Assume people are pretending not to be affected by what very much affects them. Be gentler than the situation requires.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Whether excited or unsettled, it’s the unpredictable and raw moments in which real growth and change take root. You can’t plan for or control the unknown, but you can roll with it with varying degrees of grace.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your tenderness is a rare and beautiful gift, best invested where it’s most appreciated. Of course, there are those you’ll love unconditionally, and in those cases, the love you give is what loves you back, and anything else is a bonus.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Many people have some degree of social anxiety. Even the people who look very much in control could have secret doubts. And absolutely everyone says the wrong thing at times. Don’t focus on what went wrong. Just try again.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Taking on too much leads to diminished results in all categories. But how do you rein in the ambition that surges through you? Maybe you don’t. Instead of scattering your energy too soon, let the ideas incubate somewhere safe, such as a diary.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (April 1). This will be a year of extraordinary determination and focus. Dreams take shape in your mind and you live as though you’re already in them. The real world follows this mental blueprint you lay out. More highlights: Status in a social circle, a financial goal realized, and a new chapter in love that offers thrills, tenderness and stability. Aquarius and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 28, 4, 17 and 1.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Like an Aries, Susan Boyle has been retraining her voice after health setbacks and is preparing to star in an upcoming documentary and a potential tour. Aries lives by determination, courage and passion. Boyle auditioned for “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009 despite facing initial skepticism due to her appearance. She continued to pursue a career in music later in life, releasing one hit album after another and touring all over the world, captivating audiences with her powerful voice and emotive delivery. Boyle has Venus in Aries as well.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

General

Troy advances to Women’s NIT Fab 4 after overtime win

Troy is in the Fab 4 of the Women’s NIT for the second straight year after a 97-88 victory at North Dakota State on Monday night.

The Trojans outscored the Bison 16-7 in the extra period, connecting on 10 free throws to win going away at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D. Troy (23-13) advances to a semifinal game at Illinois State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for a shot at the NIT championship game.

“It’s remarkable to watch,” Troy coach Chanda Rigby said. “For all those watching, we appreciate you. This journey continues to be incredible. Now, we’re in the Fab 4 for the second time in a row. We are determined to keep this going and go for a national championship.”

Briana Peguero led Troy with a career-high 22 points, going 10-for-11 on free throws. Shaulana Wagner added 18 points, while Zay Dyer (14), Brianna Jackson (14) and Fortuna Ngnawo (11) were also in double-figures scoring.

Avery Koenen led North Dakota State (21-12) with 23 points and 14 rebounds, while Abby Schulte added 12 points and five assists. It was the Bison’s second loss this season to Troy, which also won 86-69 in the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 23 in Anchorage.

Troy won the rebounding battle 56-37, with Jackson grabbing 14 and Ngnawo 13. The Trojans shot 43% from the field and made 26 free throws.

“No matter the outcome, I was so proud of this team,” said Rigby, whose team lost to Minnesota in last year’s WNIT semifinals. “We were put in adverse situations all game long and this team persevered throughout. It was clear after the first half that they were going to score inside and at the line. So, we made those adjustments, and this team did a great job executing.

“It wasn’t just the big shots from (Peguero), it was how tough she played. She took it all to heart and played out of her mind. I’m also proud of Shaulana. She’s become a coach on the floor and knows how to get everyone involved.”

Buffalo hosts Cleveland State in the other Women’s NIT Fab 4 game on Wednesday. The WNIT championship game is set for Saturday.

General

‘They played their hearts out’: Texas puts on defensive clinic in victory over TCU

It was exactly the kind of performance Vic Schaefer loves to see from his team.

A wire-to-wire performance on Monday saw Texas hold TCU to its lowest point total of the season and hold the Horned Frogs to a mere 12-for-45 (26.6%) from the field, forcing a dominant 21 turnovers.

“They played their hearts out, y’all,” the longtime coach said of his team. “I think everybody in here would agree to that. They were tough, they made plays, and when we had to have some good offense they came up with it.”

A dominant defensive performance lifted the Longhorns to a 58-47 victory over TCU in the Elite Eight on Monday, punching the program’s first ticket to the Final Four since 2003.

But, it wasn’t anything that wasn’t expected.

“I expect these things, I expect all my teammates to step up,” Madison Booker said. “The thing is, throughout this tournament, everybody stepped up: everybody. It’s been like this throughout the season. Throughout conference, we had different people step up, and me and Rori, we’re just being leaders. We’re just talking, trying to set an example for the team. But, I expect it.

“It’s been like this all season so, why not keep doing it?”

TCU boasted the No. 23-ranked scoring offense in the nation (77.5 points per game) going into Monday’s matchup, with star player Hailey Van Lith fresh off of a 26-point performance against Notre Dame.

“I think everybody was talking about how efficient their offense has been all year, and it has been: they’re really, really good offensively,” Schaefer said. “They’ve got playmakers, they’ve got kids that can make plays when offense breaks down.

“I thought our press was number one thing. I thought it was really critical, even if we didn’t get a turnover, we really made them work hard to get it in. When they got it in, they had to try to figure out how to run some offense. I think we had them pushed out on the floor quite well.”

The Longhorns held Van Lith to a 3-for-15 shooting night from the field, with 10 of her 17 points coming off of free throws for the Horned Frogs.

Rori Harmon and Shay Holle draw the defensive assignment on Van Lith, noting how important it is to keep the ball out of her hands with the way the offense runs through her.

“Team defense always is the number one thing, trying to limit her touches as much,” Harmon said. “She’s a three-level scorer and a great basketball player, and she played really well for them.”

“Staying in front; I think with a good basketball player and ball handler like she is, like me personally I can’t gamble on dribbles and hesies, have to cut her off, get her to let go of the ball. A lot of their offense runs through her and she makes good plays. So getting the ball out of her hands is definitely one of the keys.”

Holle expressed pride in the defense — especially on Van Lith — which she said was a goal going into Monday’s matchup.

“When me and Rori got into switches, we did a really good job of switching out hard,” Holle said, Trying to get the ball out of her hands, she is a super talented guard. Being really consistent and like she said, not biting on her things. She is just really talented.

“I think we pressured her a lot and made other people try to run the offense a little bit.”

Ahead of a matchup in the Final Four with a talented South Carolina team, Schaefer can take a dominant showing on the defensive side of the ball into a matchup with loads of offensive firepower.

“Kyla Oldacre down here is denying their 5 player in the press, really making it hard,” Schaefer said. “Rori is always going to make it hard on somebody and I thought she did an amazing job on Van Lith, defended her exceptionally well, go with her in the press, made her work for everything.

“It’s just a combination of a lot of things that had to happen for us to have a chance to win, and this group did it.”

General

Hailey Van Lith’s final season of college basketball brought her more than just accolades

TCU’s locker room on Monday was met with a wave of emotional moments.

The group shared tears, laughter, stories and jokes, all of which being some of the last that would be shared together.

Hailey Van Lith will remember them all.

“I’m forever connected to these women and this coaching staff,” the star said on Monday. “I am just really honored to have them in my life and it was awesome to hear from everybody.”

A loss to Texas in the Elite Eight on Monday in Birmingham ended a historic basketball career for Van Lith, who is the only player to lead three different programs to an Elite Eight appearance.

But on Monday in a sacred locker room meeting, every point, win and championship took a backseat for Van Lith.

“A lot of it was just gratitude for each other,” she said. “We’ve all been on unique journeys, and we’ve all meant different things to each other at different points in our lives. It was a ton of gratitude, a ton of love and a lot of people spoke.

“It wasn’t just us four, it wasn’t just Coach Campbell, it was really awesome to hear. It broke your heart even more hearing each other talk because you realize tomorrow we won’t get to practice.”

In her final season of college basketball with TCU, Van Lith claimed Big 12 Player of the Year honors as she set the program’s single-season records in points (680) and assists (202), averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds a game.

She shot 46.3% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc, adding 42 steals and 22 blocks on defense in her lone season in Fort Worth.

“I have a hard time believing that anybody in any sport in one year can have a greater impact than what Hailey Van Lith has had at TCU,” coach Mark Campbell said. “Obviously, there’s the basketball piece and a single season of scoring record, a single-season assist record, and was the leader of this group that won 34 games and took us to an Elite Eight.”

Vocal about her mental health struggles, Van Lith noted how her faith and the teammates around her were as she transitioned from LSU to TCU out of the transfer portal and put together a historic season.

She said her journey over the last five seasons — the first three at Louisville — were nothing that she expected.

“It was a lot of nights of being, like, I feel like God has put this thing on my heart to be great, but it’s not working out right now,” she said. ‘A lot of times I had to look at myself in the mirror and just be like, ‘What do you want, Hailey? Who are you?’ I’m grateful for it. I’m grateful for the fact that He gave me a hard journey, because I would not be the woman I am sitting up here without it.

“I really praise God for the struggle and the suffering. I praise Him for the nights where I didn’t want to be alive anymore. I praise Him for the nights that I was on medication because I couldn’t sleep or eat. And it’s painful to talk about it but it’s really how beautiful life is.”

Campbell said that Van Lith being able to let her guard down and open up to those on the team changed him and helped make him a better coach.

“Her allowing me to go on that journey with her and walk through her struggles that she has had is one of the reasons the season that she had has unfolded,” he TCU coach said. “When her teammates get to see someone with her platform open up and allow me to coach her, challenge her, love her, encourage her, it breaks down walls for everybody.

“We have a group of those four young women that were all on their own journey and had different struggles and different insecurities and you guys it’s why this thing became such a tight-knit family. This thing is a freaking sisterhood. There were so many tears and laughter that were in that locker room after this game. As a staff, that means we’ve done our job well.”

Projected as one of the top picks in the upcoming WNBA Draft, Van Lith will take the best season in TCU history into her next step of basketball to cap off her historic college basketball career.

But, she assured Fort Worth of one thing: she isn’t going anywhere.

“I can’t wait to be a TCU alum,” Van Lith said. “I can’t wait to come back and give back to this program and continue having my relationship with coach. I think he will be around for the rest of my life.

“That’s the best part about this year.”

General

Byrne: ‘No truth’ to rumors of Nate Oats considering Maryland job

After Kevin Willard’s messy departure to Villanova opened the Maryland head coach job, Alabama basketball’s Nate Oats was one of the rumored candidates. Oats never showed any sign of potentially departing the Crimson Tide, and none of the rumors came from reputable sources, but still, UA athletics director Greg Byrne shot them down on Monday.

During an appearance on a Fox News podcast, Byrne was asked about the talk that his coach could relocate to College Park.

“I can absolutely tell you that there’s no truth to that,” Byrne said on the Will Cain Show.

News of Willard’s impending departure to Villanova broke before Maryland lost in the NCAA Tournament. He had previously been disgruntled with the Terps’ focus on football over basketball.

Oats received an extension last year, after the Michigan job opened. He would owe Alabama $18 million if he left in the first two years of the deal.

The Crimson Tide’s 2024-25 season came to an end on Saturday. Alabama, led by Oats, cruised through the first two rounds, then put up a record breaking shooting performance in the Sweet 16 to beat BYU.

Then, Duke got out in front of the Tide in the Elite Eight and Alabama was never able to catch up. UA fell a game short of its second Final Four in school history. After arriving back in Tuscaloosa, Oats and his staff got to work in the current transfer portal window.

Alabama lost Naas Cunningham, who redshirted his freshman year, but got a big pickup in the Patriot League’s reigning player of the year. Noah Williamson reportedly committed to the Crimson Tide Monday evening.

The transfer portal remains open through April 22.