Virginia Tech Women's Basketball: Incoming Talent Provides Bright Future for the Lady Hokies
The Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball team is coming off a historic season that saw them finish 21-9 on the year and well on their way to their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2006, marking a turning point in head coach Kenny Brooks’ coaching tenure.
It helps too that they have a stellar group of freshmen incoming in their 2020 class as well. Their current group made strides led by ACC Freshman of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, first-team All-ACC performer Aisha Sheppard and ACC Sixth Woman of the Year Trinity Baptiste, although Baptiste decided to transfer at the end of the season.
With Sheppard and Kitley returning though, they’ve still got some talent returning in 2020-21 that should mesh well with their recent signees - which has reached seven as of today. Here’s a look at the Lady Hokies’ incoming recruiting class and what to expect from them in the future.
Grad/JUCO Transfers
Da’ja Green | 5’6 Guard
Green was ranked the No. 3 player in ESPN’s Grad Transfer Rankings in her class. She’s a 5-foot-6 guard that put up 12.7 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds as a three-year starter at Wofford from 2017-20. She’ll add instant experience to a backcourt that’s in need of a floor general and should be fun to watch in 2020-21. The goal is to fill the void left by the departure of Taja Cole and Dara Mabrey, who entered the transfer portal at season’s end.
D’Asia Gregg | 6’2 Forward
Gregg is another prospect that should fill the void left by the departure of Trinity Baptiste to the transfer portal. She’s a frontcourt presence that put up 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game at Gulf Coast State College in the junior college ranks in 2019-20. It was enough to earn her first-team All-Panhandle Conference honors as she showed off her development since arriving there from Georgia Tech. She’s the latest JUCO product to join the Lady Hokies’ rotation as Taylor Emory, Alexis Jean and Trinity Baptiste all attended JUCOs before making a commitment to the Hokies. She’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.
Freshmen
Georgia Amoore | 5’5 Guard
Amoore is an Australian native, which should be no surprise considering the international roots Coach Brooks has established in the recruiting world. She competed for Loreto College Ballarat in her native country where she developed as a pass-first point guard with a knack for playmaking. Her experience will work wonders for the Hokies’ backcourt in 2020-21.
Nevaeh Dean | 6’2 Forward
Dean will add depth to the Lady Hokies’ frontcourt in 2020-21. She’s a 6-foot-2 forward that battles on the interior and can rack up double-doubles with ease. She’s got nice mobility for her size as well which should allow her to develop into a multi-positional talent by the end of her career.
Shamarla King | 6’0 Guard
King is a big guard listed a 6-foot that has good athleticism and versatility in the backcourt. She was one of the best guards in the state of Connecticut given her ability to compete consistently on both ends. She’s another player that should add much-needed depth to the Lady Hokies’ backcourt.
Shelby Calhoun | 5’11 Guard
Calhoun is a Louisville native that’s won her fair share of high school awards prior to joining the Lady Hokies’ roster. She earned Region 4 Kentucky Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 while amassing over 1,800 points and 1,200 rebounds along with 64 double-doubles and 10 triple-doubles for her career at The Christian Academy of Louisville. She’s a scrappy defender and rebounder that should find herself in the rotation in no time in 2020-21.
Transfer
Azana Baines | 6’1 Guard
Baines spent one season in the backcourt for Duke before electing to transfer into Virginia Tech. After producing 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, Baines had a change of heart, deciding to transfer to the Lady Hokies for the 2020-21 season. She’ll have to sit out the upcoming season but getting a year under her belt while developing her game should be good when she returns to play for two seasons of eligibility.
