During the 2024 Virginia Tech Football Spring Game, VT Athletics announced that they will be retiring three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley's #33 jersey.
Coming Fall 2024 🐐#Retire33 pic.twitter.com/r4BC5pUKPc
— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) April 13, 2024
Kitley is the second Virginia Tech basketball player to ever have her jersey retired in the history of Hokies' Athletics, joining Renee Dennis. A date has not been set at this time, though that will likely be revealed once the 2024-25 Virginia Tech Women's Basketball schedule is set.
There's no doubt that Kitley is the greatest basketball player in the history of Virginia Tech and a clear member of the Virginia Tech Athletics Mount Rushmore.
Her career redefined what was possible in basketball at Virginia Tech leading the Hokies to their first Final Four in program history amidst four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances one ACC regular season title (2023-24) and one ACC Tournament title (2023). She also was a three-time ACC Player of the Year and was an All-American in back-to-back seasons.
She also holds a long list of Virginia Tech Women's Basketball including the following career records.
- Points (2,709)
- Rebounds (1,506)
- Rebounds Per Game (10.0)
- Blocks (331)
- Blocks Per Game (2.2)
- Field Goals Made (1,109)
- Field Goal Percentage (55.2%)
- Double-Doubles (76)
- Starts (151)
- Minutes Played (4,935)
- 30+ Point Games (13)
In a press release, VT Athletics Director Whit Babcock had the following statement.
"Elizabeth's impact on Virginia Tech and women's basketball transcends statistics," Babcock said. "Her passion, work ethic and character have left an enduring legacy that is inspiring the next generation. Retiring her jersey is a symbolic gesture of gratitude for the mark she has left on our women's basketball program and the hearts of Hokie Nation."
Liz Kitley also had the following remarks on being the first Hokie basketball player to ever receive this honor.
“Thank you, Hokie Nation, for all of your support over the last five years, it's been quite a journey,” Kitley said. “We've made a lot of memories and none of them would have been the same without you guys. We had a lot of success and I'm really proud of what we were able to do in Blacksburg.”
There's been plenty of push from fans and national media for Kitley to receive this rightful honor with Virginia Tech doing whatever they needed to make this happen. Now Hokie fans await to hear when Kitley's jersey will be formally retired at a game that will certainly become one of the hottest VT tickets of the 2024-25 athletics year.
