Virginia Tech Women's Hoops Signs Center Jessica Dimaro

Virginia Tech women's basketball announced the signing of center Jessica Dimaro to the program Tuesday morning. Dimaro, a 6-foot-4 post player from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, will likely have three years of eligibility at her disposal with the new five-in-five rules granted by the NCAA earlier this summer. She is 20 years old at the time of writing and will turn 21 on July 19. The eligibility clock begins when a player enrolls in college or the academic year right after they turn 19.

Welcome 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄, Jessica Dimaro! 🦃 pic.twitter.com/Fhqcbcw5cp
— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) July 7, 2026

Dimaro has spent the last three seasons in the W League in Japan, which she moved to from Nigeria in 2019 — she has spent the last two years in the Premier division of the league.

In the 2023-24 season, she averaged 13.8 points per game for the Toyota Boshoku Sunshine Rabbits, upping her total to 14.1 points in 2024-25 when she moved up to the Premier division of the W League.

That same season, she also gobbled an imposing 15.3 rebounds per game and swatted away 1.43 shots on average. In that season, she started 25 of 28 games. In 2025-26, she averaged a team-high 12.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, per her HokieSports page (The WJBL page does list her totals as 11.46 points and 9.54 rebounds, respectively). Against Charon V-Magic, she went 11-for-15 for a season-high 26 points, adding 12 boards. Against the V-Magic on Jan. 31, she compiled 25 points, a season-high 19 rebounds and four blocks.

In the three-game playoff semifinals, she totaled 17.3 points per game across three games, hauling in 37 total rebounds over the slate.

Dimaro came up through the Japanese ranks after her move in 2019, coming from Kyoto Seika Gakuen Junior High to Kyoto Seika Gakuen High and then, to Toyota Boshoku. She is one of eight players that stands at 6-foot-0 or taller and she is tied for the tallest player on the rsoter with fellow freshman Arianna Harris-Mott.

Dimaro and Harris-Mott come in as the roster's tallest players at 6-foot-4, with sophomore guard-forward Lauren Hurst and sophomore forwards Amani Jenkins and Aniya Trent an inch behind at 6-foot-3. Dimaro should add a useful blend of rebounding prowess and high-upside scoring to Virginia Tech's roster, though how she factors into the rotation, and whether she starts or is a reserve, is unknown and will be evident as the season goes on.

Dimaro is the fourth freshman to commit to Virginia Tech this cycle and the second international player to commit to Tech this cycle, joining Italian product Francesca Baldasarre. Last year, the Hokies utilized one international prospect, which was Slovenian guard-forward Spela Brecelj (0.9ppg). Dimaro earned an invite to the pathway for Nigeria's national team this year.

Virginia Tech went 23-10 (12-6 ACC) in 2025-26, making its first NCAA Tournament under second-year head coach Megan Duffy. The Hokies went on a seven-game winning streak midway through the season and swept archrival Virginia, including a thrilling 83-82 victory in the season finale March 1. The Hokies' season ended with a 70-60 loss to Oregon in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on March 20.

With Dimaro's commitment, Virginia Tech has 13 players on its 2026-27 roster, two below the maximum allowed number of 15. Here's the full list, sorted by eligibility then jersey number:

forward Alyssa Latham (Gr.)
guard Carleigh Wenzel (r-Sr.)
guard Samyha Suffren (r-Jr.)
guard Leila Wells (Jr.)
guard Natalee Goff (Jr.)
forward Amani Jenkins (So.)
forward Aniya Trent (So.)
guard/forward Lauren Hurst (So.)
guard Kate Sears (r-Fr.)
guard Kaleo Anderson (Fr.)
forward Arianna Harris-Mott (Fr.)
center Jessica Dimaro (Fr.)
guard Francesca Baldassarre (Fr.)

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