Writing HERstory: Virginia Tech women’s basketball sending players to the WNBA at historic clip

The Virginia Tech women’s basketball program boasts nine WNBA Draft picks dating back to Hall of Famer Tere Williams’ selection in 2001. The early 2000s saw four Hokies drafted to the league in Ieva Kublina (2004), Kerri Gardin (2006) and Nare Diawara (2007).
Then, for 12 years, no Hokie heard their name called on draft night. 

Enter Regan Magarity, a 6-foot-5 center who played five seasons in Blacksburg where she garnered All-ACC attention and helped the Hokies to a then-record of ACC wins in a season. She graduated as the ACC’s all-time leader in rebounds and was selected in the third round in 2019, paving the way for a new generation of Hokies to head to the W.

A few years later in 2022, teammate Aisha Sheppard was selected 23^rd, the highest that a Hokie had ever gone off the board. The ACC’s leader in 3-point field goals went to Vegas where she won a WNBA title in her rookie season.

Fresh off a Final Four appearance in 2023, a pair of Hokies, Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule were selected in the second and third rounds respectively.

Elizabeth Kitley, whose number 33 jersey is set to be retired, carried on the tradition with her selection in the second round of the 2024 Draft to the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces. She was in New York for the event, one of 15 draftees invited to hear their name called.

Kitley became the fourth Virginia Tech player drafted in the last three years, the most by any Atlantic Coast Conference school in that span.

Additionally, Tech is one of six programs in the nation to have a WNBA Draft pick in each of the last three years joining elite programs like Stanford, Tennessee, LSU, UConn and South Carolina.

 

Writing HERstory Campaign

Coinciding with Women’s History Month in March and the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Virginia Tech Athletics launched a multi-platform brand campaign celebrating the incredible achievements of its female student-athletes, both past and present, while inspiring the next generation of women who aspire to achieve their dreams through athletics. In partnership with Truist, Tech will share stories of its past and current female student-athletes over the course of the calendar year. Ranging from podcast interviews to feature stories and more, the incredible moments and achievements by women over the years in Virginia Tech Athletics will be celebrated. To make a direct impact on the program or to sign up for the monthly Writing HERstory newsletter.

 

…