The No. 8 Hokies reached a number of milestones last season, winning the ACC Tournament title, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and making a Final Four run. They’ll achieve another one when they clash with No. 3 Iowa on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Virginia Tech (1-0) has never played on a stage as grand in the regular season. In fact, prior to last year, it had played in just one regular season contest on a main television network in its history, which came on ESPNU in 2006 at Miami.
Being asked to play in the Jimmy V Classic at Tennessee on ESPN2 last November was a small step, one of three games on the main ESPN networks in 2022-23. But this, a primetime, top-10 clash against Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes (1-0), is a giant leap for the program.
Locally, the game is in front of 20,000 fans in the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Nationally, it’ll go head-to-head against two football games, one college and one NFL: at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, Virginia (2-7) at No. 11 Louisville (8-1); at 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video, Carolina (1-7) at Chicago (2-7).
The two best sporting events of the day are women’s basketball games, one of which involves the Hokies. The other is No. 11 Tennessee at No. 18 Florida State, which is before Tech-Iowa at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. Talk about a massive platform.
“It’s a great opportunity for women’s basketball to showcase itself,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said in a Tuesday media session. “I know they have Thursday Night NFL Football, but if you’re like me, it’s hard finding it on Prime Video, so we’re going to be front and center to be able to showcase not only what our program represents, but what women’s basketball represents.
“In essence, it’s going to be a win-win situation for us. We’re going to go down, play a very good opponent, the No. 3 ranked team in the country. … The matchup between Georgia [Amoore] and Caitlin and Liz [Kitley], that’s great recognition for our program, and it’s something that we built to get to this point where everyone’s talking about you on a national stage. It’s a really good place to be in.”
It’s the result of more parity in women’s college basketball. Just 10 years ago, UConn and Geno Auriemma dominated the landscape and won 10 national championships in 17 years from 2000-16. In a similar 22-year span from 1987-2008, Tennessee and Pat Summitt won eight titles.
However, in the last six seasons, there’s only been one repeat winner: South Carolina and Dawn Staley (2017 and 2022). Four other schools — Notre Dame (2018), Baylor (2019), Stanford (2021) and LSU (2023) — took home the trophy.
The sport shifted. The result: Magical runs. Different schools have appeared.
The Hokies ventured to their first Final Four in March; It was the Hawkeyes’ second, their first since 1993. Mississippi State, who played in the title game in 2017 and ‘18, is another great example. Historically, that’s not how things have shaken out.
“When I was at James Madison, there wasn’t as much parity,” Brooks said. “It was UConn and Tennessee, UConn and Tennessee, and you might see someone slip in there now and then, but it was pretty much the same cast of characters. And UConn and Tennessee are still a part of the landscape of women’s college basketball, but there are a lot of other teams.”
Virginia Tech is now one of them, as is Iowa, and Clark has been one of the driving forces behind it. Brooks referred to her as a “generational” player, comparing her to Steph Curry, and that’s what her impact on the game has been. She’s brought new eyes to women’s college basketball and has helped change the game.
Thursday night, the Hokies will try and stop her. Brooks admitted that they’re not going to be able to shut her down completely — “She’s too talented,” he said — but they’re going to share the same stage. They have a chance to impact women’s basketball in unreal ways, and the U.S. is going to get a very good glimpse at some of the generational players Tech has in Amoore and Kitley.
“ESPN talent asked, ‘What excites you the most about being on this stage?’” said Brooks, recalling a conversation from before last year’s Final Four. “I was like, ‘I’m excited because people are going to get to know who Georgia Amoore is or who Elizabeth Kitley is.’ And now I think people do know that, so when they are paired and they are playing, you look at the Naismith watch list. Georgia and Liz are on there, just like Caitlin Clark. Preseason All-American [team], Caitlin Clark kicks it off and Elizabeth Kitley is right there, too.
“… This is what it’s all about, for us to be represented on this stage, our kids to be on par with the best in the country, and to go out and prove who we are.”
Thursday is an unprecedented opportunity for Virginia Tech women’s basketball in that it has the chance to play for something greater than the ACC, the university and Blacksburg. Along with the Hawkeyes, the Hokies can impact basketball fans across the country and give them new perspective.
It’s fitting that Iowa is one of the two teams involved. Brooks, quoting Field of Dreams on Tuesday: “If you build it, they will come.”
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Another informative article David.
I think it says something about our program when we signed the number one high school player in Connecticut.
This game will provide VT with a showcase for the women’s team – something that doesn’t come along very often. I hope they play well and the new players don’t get flustered by the big moment. Games like this will be helpful to get ready for the ACC season and (hopefully) the NCAA tourney.
So looking forward to this game. GO HOKIES!
Years ago I couldn’t bear to watch womens basketball. It was painfully slow and the ladies just could not shot with any consistency.However in the last 15-20 years it has improved tremendously and is now to the point that I may actually prefer it to the men’s game. Men’s game has evolved to where most of the finesse has been taken out. It’s now about who’s the biggest, strongest and can push and shove the hardest. The Hokies ladies play the game as it should be played with heart and class and none of the thuggish behavior I observed in Dallas at last years final four. Great article, great team . GO HOKIES !
This is just outright EXCITING! No matter the outcome, Brooks has placed Tech as part of the conversation in WBB for the next several years. GO HOKIES!!
Yeah, in the sweet 16 there were predictions of yet another Uconn Tennessee matchup because that’s how the prognosticators saw upstarts like VT, things will return to the mean. But Ohio State knocked off Uconn which was a pretty big shock and VT knocked off Tennessee – 2nd time for the year and yoiu had the VT – Ohio State matchup. Sorry guys, not.”
Anyway, this is the game I wanted to see: VT and Iowa and it was closer than anyone realized could happen. The great could have been moment acted out.
The BIG question is, did last years’ F4 mark a ohanging of the guard for women’s basketball?
Well, yes and no. Things are always changing of course, Tennessee has this great record because, um, they were the only that cared about it in the day. Likewise UConn, now that there’s more interest at other schools maybe the wealth gets spread around a little more and you see newer names. So yeah, I suspect those two schools will always be hanging around for tradition but no more of these decade long championship streaks. I’m not really expecting VT to repeat a F4 that is, every year is a new year and really a back-handed way of saying how phenomenal last spring was, basically playing six girls to the F4 (with a 7th who was rooting for the other team!!!) a new year means you have to find that pixie dust again. I’m not sure Iowa would be back after CC, I think they’re having their lighting in a bottle years.
I do think Brooks made a national impression and will be getting more talent in the next few years.
I got chills reading that, kudos. I am really looking forward to Thursday. Go Hokies!
This is just an excellent article. Pretty Work!
I had never watched a Women’s College BB game until last year’s run. I’ve learned from my mistake. I’m so pumped for Thursday night! What an event and what great exposure for our program and our beloved university! Go girls, go! I have no doubt VT will be well represented in the stands.
Glad the Iowa womens hoops team isn’t coached by Tom Brands. No oranges on Thursday night!
What a great showcase for both teams.