Hughes: Despite Hokies' First-Round Exit, Plenty Of Good To Take Away

Virginia Tech women's basketball’s brief stay in the NCAA Tournament ultimately served as a modest conclusion to what was, in totality, a strong and encouraging 2025-26 campaign.

Forever grateful 🧡

Thank you, Hokie Nation, for your support all season long. None of this happens without you! pic.twitter.com/5NJbI7nFYn
— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) March 21, 2026

The Hokies finished out the season with a 23-10 overall record and a 12-6 mark in ACC play, a clear step forward in year two under head coach Megan Duffy. While the early tournament exit stings in the moment — particularly for a program that was accustomed to deeper March runs under previous head coach Kenny Brooks — it does not erase the tangible progress made over the course of the season.

"While [the loss to Oregon] is disappointing, having Mackie and Carys here to help lead us, along with Carleigh [Wenzel] and Leila Wells and our seniors, just really excited about what they've done this season," said Hokies head coach megan Duffy."

The 66% in-conference win mark reflected that growth. It positioned the Hokies in sixth place at the end of the regular season, and it ensured a return to the NCAA Tournament without much drama on Selection Sunday. Virginia Tech erupted on a seven-game winning streak in the middle of conference play and defeated a pair of potent California teams in Stanford and Cal once that heater evaporated.

Still, the absence of a Round of 32 appearance creates a potential stepping stone for year three under Duffy. Virginia Tech’s tournament run ended before it could fully gain momentum, highlighting the gap still to be narrowed between being a solid tournament team and a team capable of making sustained noise in the BIg Dance.

That gap, however, appears to be narrowing.

The Hokies’ trajectory under Duffy points upward. Player development has been evident in the evolutions of Nelson, Wenzel and Baker. The leadership, as well, has seen an evolution, with each of the three adjusting to new roles.

From the basketball side we still had players in new roles this year trying to figure out how to, like Mackie Nelson, be a little bit better point guard than you were last year, and she exceeded that," Duffy said. "And Carleigh and Carys with the weight of the world on their shoulders some day, just helping them navigate through that. It's been fun.

"Their hearts are always in the right place. And even, it was funny, we were down [to Oregon], it felt like a million. But I said, 'If anything, we get out of this fourth quarter, let's end this game with playing our hearts out.' Now, would we have loved to do it the whole 40 minutes? Absolutely. I think a little bit of this game is a microcosm of our season where we had those dips, those highs, those low moments, but they fought like heck the last 10 minutes of the game to cut it."

Equally important is the foundation being built. The 23-win season, paired with a strong conference record in a resurgent ACC, provides a pathway towards confidence within the locker room. It signals stability — something that is crucial in the modern college basketball landscape, with the transfer portal becoming more and more important with each passing year.

With the 2025-26 season now in the rearview mirror, attention shifts quickly to what comes next. Virginia Tech’s 2026-27 season will begin in early November.