The fourth-seeded Virginia Tech women's basketball team, without injured center Elizabeth Kitley, lost 75-72 to fifth-seeded Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night at Cassell Coliseum. Ta.
Kitley, the greatest player in program history, helped Tech win the 2023 ACC Tournament and advance to the 2023 Final Four. However, she suffered a torn ACL in the team's final regular season game at Virginia.
With Kitley out, the ACC regular-season champion Hokies (25-8) fall to 1-1 in both the ACC Tournament and the NCAA.
“It wasn't supposed to end like this,” Tech coach Kenny Brooks said in a press conference after Sunday's loss. “Liz Kitley is going to be on the floor to help us fight and get to the next round.
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“At that time, our children may have hung their heads down in dismay. [the injury] Happened, but they didn't happen. They stayed focused. …I’m so proud of them.
“This is heartbreaking because we felt like we could move forward, but things didn't go our way.”
Kitley was a three-time All-American and a three-time ACC Player of the Year.
“I thought if Liz didn’t go down, I could get another run,” Brooks said. “We won 10 straight games in the ACC.” [before losing the penultimate regular-season game at Notre Dame]. And we had a bad game at Notre Dame. But we were the ACC regular season champions and had a chance to regroup and make it to the finals. [ACC] Once the tournament ended and then Liz's unfortunate situation derailed us a little bit, we had to try to reinvent ourselves. ”
When Tech fans look back on this postseason, they'll no doubt wonder, “What if Kitley hadn't gotten hurt?”
What does senior point guard Georgia Amoore think about this postseason?
“Our season is not defined by the postseason,” said Amoor, who scored 18 points Sunday. “It's incredibly difficult to be a regular season champion. … We were the most consistent team and we had a lot of fun.
“We were dealt with quite harshly. [hand] … Towards the end of the season, obviously Liz went out and didn't have the opportunity or time to completely reinvent herself.The team we played against was exactly what they were. [from being] We've been developing it all year, but we just didn't have the time.”
For Kitley and fellow graduate student Kayla King, this was their fifth and final season at Tech.
However, it remains to be seen whether this was also Amoore's last Tech season. The third-team All-American has not yet announced whether she will enter the WNBA Draft or return to Tech for an additional year of eligibility.
If this was Amoore's last game at Tech, how would she remember her career with the Hokies?
“I had time,” she said. “I came here [from Australia] And I wasn't good. I couldn't take pictures. Probably a little overweight. Probably too late. It was too much fun. But when I came here, it was a great place for me to settle down and focus on basketball.
“I trusted Coach Brooks 110% even when I didn't believe in myself, and it was very rewarding. I couldn't be more grateful for the time we spent together.”
“Blacksburg is where I grew up and is like a second home. I couldn't be more grateful for how Blacksburg has changed me, not only as a basketball player, but as a person.” You can't.
“I took a chance [on Tech] And I'm very, very grateful that I was able to do that because I now have him with me for life. ”
She called Brooks her “second father.”
“This is a relationship I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Amoor said.
It also remains to be seen whether Brooks, who has been linked to Kentucky's vacant seat, will return. Tech athletic director Whit Babcock said Sunday that he has a “good feeling” about Tech's chances of retaining Brooks.
It was Brooks who brought Kitley, Amoore and King to Blacksburg and took the program to new heights.
During the Kitley/Amoore/King era, the Hokies made their fourth straight NCAA appearance, starting with a 2021 bid that marked Tech's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years. Last season, Tech won the ACC Tournament for the first time and reached the Final Four for the first time. This year, Tech won its first ACC regular season title.
How will Brooks remember this chapter of Tech women's basketball?
“It's been the best period of my coaching career, not just because of the championships we won…those three guys are great guys,” he said. “I couldn't have asked for better people to come here and transform this program.
“The impact they have had on this community has made so many of us fans of women's basketball here at Virginia Tech.”
Brooks then became emotional.
“When you get a player of that caliber, sometimes you have to make a little sacrifice. Maybe you have to sacrifice your integrity,” Brooks said, his voice breaking. “But those kids are the complete package. They're great kids. And what they've done for this program, this community and me, I can't even begin to describe.”
King and Wake Forest University graduate Olivia Sumiel, who scored seven points Sunday, were in tears as they high-fived fans at the end of the game. This was the last collegiate game for both players.
Amoore said King had a “fantastic” career in technology.
“When she looks back, I hope she doesn't look back at this game, she looks at her whole self.” [five] For years,” Amour said.
