Elizabeth Ann Kitley (born September 17, 2001) is an American

professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...

player who played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

. She was drafted in 2024 by the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conferenc ...

Early life and high school career

Kitley grew up playing basketball,

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

, preferring softball by fifth grade. She switched her focus to basketball before her freshman year at

Northwest Guilford High School Northwest Guilford High School is a public high school in Guilford County, North Carolina. It currently has an enrollment of 1,947 students in grades 9 through 12. The school was ranked by ''Newsweek''s Best High Schools in America as 261st amo ...

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

, when she stood 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m). As a sophomore, Kitley led Northwest Guilford to its first state championship at the 4A tournament and was named

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

(MVP) of the title game. She helped her team win another state title in her junior season, repeating as MVP of the title game. Before her senior season, Kitley suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during an

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

game. Following surgery, she was sidelined until the final two games of the season. Rated a five-star

recruit __NOTOC__ Recruit can refer to: Military * Military recruitment * Recruit training, in the military * '' Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries * Seaman recruit Books *''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (E ...

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

, she committed to play for

at the college level under head coach

Kenny Brooks Kenny Brooks (born December 20, 1968) is the current head coach of the Virginia Tech women's basketball team. Career Brooks played his collegiate basketball for the James Madison Dukes basketball program. During the 2013–2014 season the James ...

College career

On November 5, 2019, Kitley made her collegiate debut and scored a season-high 27 points, shooting 13-of-15 from the field, in a 105–41 win over Saint Francis (PA). She recorded the most points by a Virginia Tech freshman in a debut. As a freshman, Kitley averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and was named

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

(ACC) Freshman of the Year. On December 4, 2020, she posted a sophomore season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds in an 84–59 win against

Appalachian State Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...

. On January 17, 2021, Kitley tied the program single-game record with 21 rebounds, while scoring 18 points in a 67–64 loss to Wake Forest. One week later, she scored 30 points for a second time, along with 13 rebounds, in an 89–87 loss to AP No. 2

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

. Kitley averaged 18.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore, earning first-team All-ACC honors. On November 11, 2021, Kitley tallied 34 points and nine rebounds, making a program-record 17 field goals, in a 75–38 win over

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

. On December 19, she posted 34 points and 13 rebounds in a 92–75 win against Florida State. Kitley sustained a right shoulder injury against

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

in the quarterfinals of the 2022 ACC tournament and was sidelined as her team lost to NC State in the following game. She returned for the first round of the NCAA tournament. During the game, Kitley set the Virginia Tech single-game scoring record with 42 points in an 84–81 loss to 12th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast. As a junior, she averaged 18.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Kitley was named

ACC Player of the Year Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year refers to the most outstanding player for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in a given sport for a given season. For lists of individual sport ACC Players of the Year by year: *Atlantic Coast Conferen ...

and repeated as a first-team All-ACC selection. She received third-team All-American recognition from the AP and

United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awa ...

(USBWA) and was a member of the

Women's Basketball Coaches Association The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels. The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches. The mission of the WBCA ...

(WBCA) All-America team. On February 23, 2023, Kitley set the Virginia Tech career scoring record, while posting 21 points and 10 rebounds and making the game-winning shot at the buzzer, in a 61–59 win over North Carolina. Three days later, she had a senior season-high 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 65–52 victory over

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

. At the 2023 NCAA tournament, Kitley led Virginia Tech to its first Final Four. As a senior, she averaged 18.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, becoming Virginia Tech's all-time leader in points, field goals, blocks and double-doubles. Kitley repeated as ACC Player of the Year, made the WBCA All-America team and was named a second-team All-American by the AP and USBWA. Despite being a projected first-round pick in the

2023 WNBA draft The 2023 WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) Draft, the WNBA's draft for the 2023 WNBA season and 28th draft in WNBA history, was held following the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The 2023 draft took place at Spr ...

, she returned for a fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. After the spring 2023 semester, Kitley completed her

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in human nutrition with concentrations in foods and exercise and

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

honors. On December 21, 2023, Kitley became the ACC all-time leader in rebounds, recording 23 points and 17 rebounds in a 76–43 win over William & Mary. On January 7, 2024, she made a game-winning layup while posting 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 63–62 win over AP No. 3 NC State. On March 3, 2024, in the regular season finale against the University of Virginia, Kitley suffered an ACL injury in her left leg that would sideline her indefinitely, ending her collegiate basketball career. She would be named ACC Player of the Year the same season, becoming only the fifth in the award's history to earn the honor three separate occasions. Elizabeth Kitley finished her career at

with all-time program records in games started, minutes played, points scored, field-goal percentage, field goals made,

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

s, rebounds, and blocks. On April 13, 2024, immediately following Kitley's final season as a student-athlete,

Virginia Tech Athletics The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 v ...

announced that the jersey number of Elizabeth Kitley's collegeiate career would be formally retired. The ceremony will take place in the 2024-25 NCAA Division I Women's College Basketball season during a game when the

Hokies The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 va ...

play at

Cassell Coliseum Cassell Coliseum is a 10,052-seat multi-purpose arena in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States, that opened in 1962. It is home to the Virginia Tech Hokies men's and women's basketball teams, wrestling team, and volleyball team. History Built as a ...

, their home venue. Kitley's jersey number is the first and only to be retired by the

Virginia Tech Hokies women's basketball The Virginia Tech Hokies Women's Basketball team represents Virginia Tech in women's basketball. The school competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They are currently coached ...

program in the 21st century.

Professional career

On April 15, 2024, the

selected Kitley with the 24th overall pick in the

2024 WNBA draft The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)'s draft for the 2024 season, following the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season, was held on April 15, 2024, the 29th draft in WNBA history. The draft took place at the Brooklyn ...

. The

, upon drafting Kitley, reserved her contract rights as one of two (2) maximum

inactive Inactive is a TRPV channel in invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping ...

players ( ACL) through the duration of the 2024 WNBA season. This was made evident by Kitley being deferred from the 2024 Las Vegas Aces season training camp roster.

Career statistics

College

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, 25 , , 25 , , 35.6 , , 53.1 , , 42.9, , 78.0 , , 10.4 , , 2.0 , , 0.5 , , 1.9 , , 2.8 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 32.0 , , 55.1 , , 16.7, , 72.4 , , 9.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 2.4 , , 2.0 , , 18.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 35 , , 34.8 , , 55.8 , , 20.0, , 72.2 , , 10.7 , , 1.5 , , 0.6 , , 2.4 , , 2.2 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2023–24 , style="text-align:left;",

, 29, , 29 , , 34.3 , , 55.6 , , 40.0, , 77.4 , , 11.4 , , 1.8 , , 0.6 , , 2.1 , , 2.1 , , 22.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 151, , 151, , 32.6, , 55.2, , 28.6, , 73.5, , 10.0, , 1.5, , 0.5, , 2.2, , 2.2, , 17.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="14", Statistics retrieved from

Sports-Reference Sports Reference, LLC, is an American company which operates several sports-related websites, including Sports-Reference.com, Baseball-Reference.com for baseball, Basketball-Reference.com for basketball, Hockey-Reference.com for ice hockey, Pro- ...

Personal life

Kitley's father, Ralph, played professional basketball in Germany and Brazil, following a college career at Wake Forest. He later became a high school principal, teacher and basketball coach.

References

External links

Elizabeth Kitley instagramVirginia Tech Hokies bioUSA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitley, Elizabeth 2001 births Living people American women's basketball players Basketball players from North Carolina People from Summerfield, North Carolina Sportspeople from Guilford County, North Carolina Centers (basketball) Virginia Tech Hokies women's basketball players All-American college women's basketball players Las Vegas Aces draft picks