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Elizabeth Kitley

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Elizabeth Kitley
Kitley in 2024
Personal information
Born (2001-09-17) September 17, 2001 (age 23)
Summerfield, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Career information
High schoolNorthwest Guilford
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
CollegeVirginia Tech (2019–2024)
WNBA draft2024: 2nd round, 24th overall pick
Selected by the Las Vegas Aces
Playing career2024–present
PositionCenter
Number33
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2023, 2024)
  • Third-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2022)
  • 3× WBCA Coaches' All-American (2022-2024)
  • 3× ACC Player of the Year (2022–2024)
  • 4× First-team All-ACC (2021–2024)
  • 3× ACC All-Defensive Team (2022–2024)
  • ACC Freshman of the Year (2020)
  • ACC All-Freshman Team (2020)

Elizabeth Ann Kitley (born September 17, 2001)[1][2] is an American professional basketball player who played college basketball at Virginia Tech. She was drafted in 2024 by the Las Vegas Aces.

Early life

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Kitley grew up playing basketball, softball and volleyball, preferring softball by fifth grade. She switched her focus to basketball before her freshman year at Northwest Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, when she stood 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m).[3] As a sophomore, Kitley led Northwest Guilford to its first state championship at the 4A tournament and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the title game.[4] She helped her team win another state title in her junior season, repeating as MVP of the title game.[5] Before her senior season, Kitley suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during an Amateur Athletic Union game. Following surgery, she was sidelined until the final two games of the season.[6] Rated a five-star recruit by ESPN,[7] she committed to play for Virginia Tech at the college level under head coach Kenny Brooks.[8]

College career

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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.[9] As a freshman, Kitley averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year.[10] On December 4, 2020, she posted a sophomore season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds in an 84–59 win against Appalachian State.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13] Kitley averaged 18.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore, earning first-team All-ACC honors.[3]

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.[14] On December 19, she posted 34 points and 13 rebounds in a 92–75 win against Florida State.[15] Kitley sustained a right shoulder injury against North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the 2022 ACC tournament and was sidelined as her team lost to NC State in the following game.[16] 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.[17] 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 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 (USBWA) and was a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America team.[18]

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.[19] Three days later, she had a senior season-high 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 65–52 victory over Georgia Tech.[20] At the 2023 NCAA tournament, Kitley led Virginia Tech to its first Final Four.[21] 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.[22]

Despite being a projected first-round pick in the 2023 WNBA draft, she returned for a fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] After the spring 2023 semester, Kitley completed her Bachelor of Science in human nutrition with concentrations in foods and exercise and summa cum laude honors.[2]

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.[24] 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.[25] 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 Virginia Tech with all-time program records in games started, minutes played, points scored, field-goal percentage, field goals made, double-doubles, rebounds, and blocks.

On April 13, 2024, immediately following Kitley's final season as a student-athlete, Virginia Tech Athletics 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 play at Cassell Coliseum, their home venue. Kitley's jersey number is the first and only to be retired by the Virginia Tech Hokies women's basketball program in the 21st century.

Professional career

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On April 15, 2024, the Las Vegas Aces selected Kitley with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. The Las Vegas Aces, upon drafting Kitley, reserved her contract rights as one of two (2) maximum inactive 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

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2019–20 Virginia Tech 30 30 26.8 56.2 20.0 66.7 7.5 0.7 0.2 2.1 2.2 12.5
2020–21 Virginia Tech 25 25 35.6 53.1 42.9 78.0 10.4 2.0 0.5 1.9 2.8 18.2
2021–22 Virginia Tech 32 32 32.0 55.1 16.7 72.4 9.8 1.5 0.5 2.4 2.0 18.1
2022–23 Virginia Tech 35 35 34.8 55.8 20.0 72.2 10.7 1.5 0.6 2.4 2.2 18.2
2023–24 Virginia Tech 29 29 34.3 55.6 40.0 77.4 11.4 1.8 0.6 2.1 2.1 22.8°
Career 151 151 32.6 55.2 28.6 73.5 10.0 1.5 0.5 2.2 2.2 17.9
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[26]

Personal life

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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.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Brooks, Kenny [@CoachBrooksVT] (September 17, 2019). "Our youngin is finally 18! Help us wish @elizabethkitley a happy birthday!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b "Undergraduate Spring 2023 Graduates". Virginia Tech. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c London, Mike (January 23, 2022). "Ralph and Elizabeth: Kitleys are a basketball family". Salisbury Post. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  4. ^ Mundy, J.P. (March 11, 2017). "Northwest Guilford girls makes history with 4-A basketball title". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  5. ^ Mundy, J.P. (March 10, 2018). "Northwest Guilford's 'true grit' leads to another title". News & Record. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  6. ^ Berman, Mark (March 1, 2022). "Center of attention: Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley named ACC player of the year". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Elizabeth Kitley 2019 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Sirera, Joe (December 7, 2017). "Northwest Guilford's Liz Kitley says Virginia Tech 'just felt like home'". News & Record. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Kitley honored by ACC after stellar opening week". Virginia Tech Athletics. November 11, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  10. ^ Epps Jr., Wayne (March 17, 2020). "Women's basketball around the Commonwealth provided plenty to remember in 2019-20". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Berman, Mark (December 4, 2020). "Elizabeth Kitley scores 30 points in Virginia Tech win over Appalachian State". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Niziolek, Mike (January 17, 2021). "Virginia Tech women's basketball struggles down the stretch in loss to Wake Forest". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  13. ^ "Kitley registers 30-point afternoon in 89-87 loss at No. 2 NC State". Virginia Tech Athletics. January 24, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  14. ^ "Elizabeth Kitley opens season as ACC's Co-Player of the Week". Virginia Tech Athletics. November 15, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Ferrante, Bob (December 19, 2021). "Kitley, Amoore too much as VT defeats FSU". The Osceola. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  16. ^ Philippou, Alexa (March 5, 2022). "Virginia Tech Hokies' ACC women's basketball tournament run ends without star Elizabeth Kitley in loss to NC State". ESPN. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  17. ^ "Kitley scores 42 points in Virginia Tech's 84-81 loss to FGCU". Virginia Tech Athletics. March 18, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  18. ^ "Elizabeth Kitley – Women's Basketball". Virginia Tech Athletics. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  19. ^ Berman, Mark (February 24, 2023). "Tech's Kitley sets Hokies' all-time scoring record, then hits buzzer-beater winner". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  20. ^ "Kitley Scores 29, Tech Sets Single-Season ACC Wins Record". Daily News-Record. Associated Press. February 26, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  21. ^ Campbell, Ed (March 30, 2023). "Kitley leads Hokies into first-ever Final Four". News & Record. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  22. ^ "Elizabeth Kitley an AP preseason All-American Tuesday". Virginia Tech Athletics. October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  23. ^ Philippou, Alexa (April 2, 2023). "Hokies star Elizabeth Kitley returning for fifth season". ESPN. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  24. ^ "Kitley sets ACC career rebounding record in No. 15 Virginia Tech's 76-43 win over William & Mary". Associated Press. December 21, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  25. ^ Robertson, Jimmy (January 7, 2024). "Kitley makes game-winner, No. 13 Virginia Tech women beat previously undefeated No. 3 NC State 63-62". Associated Press. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  26. ^ "Elizabeth Kitley College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
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