Virginia Tech Women's Basketball picked up their first transfer portal addition of the Megan Duffy era as Utah SG Lani White announced her commitment to the Hokies.
committed 🧡🖤 @HokiesWBB pic.twitter.com/DgDree4n3a
— Lani White (@laniwhitee) April 30, 2024
The 5'11'' White spent the first two seasons of her collegiate career as a backup for a top 20 Utah program averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game while shooting 39.3% from the field including 29.2% from three-point range and 65.6% from the free-throw line. She has two years of eligibility remaining.
White gives the Hokies some much-needed depth at the two and the three behind projected starters Carleigh Wenzel and Matilda Ekh, especially after the Hokies lost some of that depth when four-star SG Lexi Blue followed Kenny Brooks to Kentucky. She will likely compete with Carys Baker and Kayl Petersen for playing time though Baker looks like a potential starter as well, whether at the 4 or at the 3 with Ekh at the 4, based on the current roster without any other transfer additions, which are reasonable to expect.
White has shown plenty of potential especially on the defensive end where she had a defensive box score plus/minus of 2.3 and 3.1 respectively in each of her two seasons at Utah along with a defensive rating (estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions) of 89.8 for her two years with the Utes which is very good.
Her offensive game is probably the weaker side of her game, though she did shoot 44.4% from three as a freshman before struggling from three-point range this past season.
With White on board, the Hokies now have 10 scholarship players with five spots still available for Megan Duffy to work with. Charlotte First Team All-AAC G Dazia Lawrence has been linked with the Hokies while Marquette All-Big East F Liza Karlen would be a target that would make a lot of sense given the obvious connection with Duffy coming from Marquette.
