Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball Inks Top-10 Recruiting Class For 2024

By: David Cunningham | Managing Editor
Kenny Brooks and Virginia Tech signed an elite recruiting 2024 class. (Jon Fleming)

Virginia Tech women’s basketball inked a top-10 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle in the early signing period (Nov. 8-15), a trio ESPN ranked sixth in the country.

All three previously committed prospects signed with the Hokies: Lexi Blue, Myah Hazelton and Clara Silva.

Fresh off an ACC Championship and a Final Four appearance, the 2024 class is arguably Tech’s best yet under head coach Kenny Brooks. It comes after a 2023 group that featured four top-100 recruits, all of who are current true freshmen for the Hokies — Carys Baker (No. 58 in ESPN’s HoopGurlz rankings), Mackenzie Nelson (No. 65), Samyha Suffren (No. 93) and Clara Strack (No. 95).

Here’s a look at Tech’s 2024 class:

Lexi Blue

6-2, G
Orlando, Fla.

Commitment date: July 20, 2023
High school: Lake Highland Prep
Stars: 4

Quick facts: The No. 38 overall prospect in the class of 2024 chose the Hokies over Arizona, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Ohio State and Tennessee, among others. She’s a highly-touted wing and the third-highest rated recruit for Tech under Brooks, just behind Elizabeth Kitley (No. 33) and Aisha Sheppard (No. 34).

As a junior, Blue averaged 12 points and five rebounds per game and helped lead the Highlanders to a state title. With Cayla King graduating after this season, she replenishes the depth at that spot alongside Michigan State transfer Matilda Ekh.

Myah Hazelton

6-4, F
Baltimore, Md.

Commitment date: June 28, 2022
High school: Mercy
Stars: 3

Quick facts: The first commit in the class back in June 2022, Hazelton chose the Hokies over offers from Boston College, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Virginia and others. She transferred high schools ahead of her junior year, moving from Sparrows Point (southeast of Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay) to Mercy (north side of Baltimore), and had a 28-7-3 game early in the season.

At 6-4, she’s part of the next wave in the frontcourt for the Hokies along with Silva (more on her below). With Wake Forest transfer Olivia Summiel moving on after this year, Hazelton will fill that gap, joining Minnesota transfer Rose Micheaux (who will be a senior next season) at the four.

Olivia Summiel is in her final year of eligibility, meaning incoming freshman Myah Hazelton will be a big depth piece for Virginia Tech next season. (Jon Fleming)

Clara Silva

6-7, C
Faro, Portugal

Commitment date: Sept. 3, 2023
Club: Unicaja Baloncesto
Stars: 5

Quick facts: Though she isn’t in ESPN’s recruiting rankings because she’s from overseas, Silva is arguably the biggest commit of the 2024 class for Virginia Tech. She was highly sought after and chose the Hokies over a number of blue bloods, including UConn, Tennessee, Louisville and Maryland. She’s part of the reason why Tech’s class is sixth in the country — if she lived in the U.S., she’d be a top-10 prospect.

With two-time ACC Player of the Year and AP All-American Elizabeth Kitley gone next season, it’ll be the Clara show at center. Silva joins Clara Strack, a top-100 recruit and current true freshman, who stands at 6-5. She represented Portugal at the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championships in Turkey and averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds in seven outings.

Final Thoughts

With the three signees, here’s how the Virginia Tech roster breaks down for 2024-25:

Amoore’s Decision

Georgia Amoore is part of the last class that has the opportunity to use a COVID year of eligibility, but it was more thanks to good planning on the part of her and Virginia Tech than anything.

Amoore was a prospect in the class of 2020 but enrolled early in January to get acclimated. The benefit was she practiced with the Hokies for the entire spring semester, which helped her adjust to the American style of play. The pandemic changed things, but if she enrolled in the summer like most recruits, this would be her last season. Instead, she was part of Tech’s 2019-20 team and is eligible to return.

Fast forward a few years and Amoore was one of the most important pieces in three straight NCAA Tournament appearances for Virginia Tech, an ACC Championship, a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance and a trip to the Final Four. She was the MVP of the ACC Tournament and the Seattle 3 Regional, is a two-time First Team All-ACC performer and was a preseason All-American. And she can come back for more if she chooses.

That will be the biggest topic of discussion in the offseason. She’s projected as a first round pick in the WNBA Draft, but the Hokies could not only match, but double or triple that salary with NIL. Her relationship with Brooks will play a factor, as will her career aspirations. It’s too early to really think about it, but it’s something to keep in mind when looking ahead to 2024-25.

Transfer Portal Needs

Even if Amoore doesn’t return, the Hokies are set in the backcourt for a number of seasons. Light attrition can be expected, but between Carleigh Wenzel, Mackenzie Nelson and Samyha Suffren, they’re set at point guard.

Tech could opt to pursue another wing to accompany Ekh and Blue, but that may depend on how Baker comes along this season. At 6-2, she’s got the size to play inside some, but she seems more suited to play on the perimeter, especially with a terrific 3-point shot.

The position Virginia Tech might emphasize more than any is power forward. With just Micheaux and Hazelton there and a handful of open scholarships, there’s an opportunity to add another frontcourt piece. That might be someone with a similar skillset to Summiel, a good defender and rebounder who can step out and knock down the occasional three.

The Hokies don’t really need another center unless they don’t feel good about Strack’s progression, but from everything Brooks & Co. have said about the Buffalo native, she’s coming along well and will see extended playing time soon.

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32 Responses You are logged in as Test

  2. Great class, and love how the roster is getting set for the next couple of years. And glad no surprises. I can’t imagine there is too much flipping of verbals in WBB, but is there?

  3. I didn’t think international students could accept NIL money. How would Amoore get more money than a WNBA salary if she were to stay another year?

    1. WNBA average salary is about $140k and rookie probably would make less. Depends on if someone steps up with NIL cash.

  4. Good info. For next season not many schools have two centers 6’5′ + and a forward 6’4′.

  5. How many times has VT ever had top 10 recruiting classes in any sport? I’m guessing we might have done so in wrestling and softball. In any case, it’s good to see.

      1. Yep, thanks. It’s fixed now.

        Accidentally flipped them. Hadn’t updated the table since the beginning of the season so I had to change the classes for Nelson and Brooks because of the redshirt and changed Suffren instead of Brooks by mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.

  8. We need a big, bruiser 4 that likes contact and can finish inside, as much as anything IMHO.
    GO HOKIES!

  9. Part of me looks at Baker and thinks she doesn’t have the foot quickness to guard on the perimeter. I am not saying she isn’t athletic. But she doesn’t seem like a “wing” who can guard an opposing 2 or 3…especially given the athletic wings we face. Same with Ekh. Ekh’s body type seems like she is a 4. She might not be physical or whatever to play inside but she also doesn’t have the quickness to guard an athletic outside player. Just thoughts

    1. I see what you mean. That’s why it’ll be really interesting to see how Brooks approaches the next few non-conference games. We’ll know a bunch about these players over the next few weeks, but it’s crazy to think that next season, there might only be one player (Carleigh Wenzel) that will have been in the program for three seasons.

      1. Thanks. THe problem with the non-conference games is that they are false narratives. We award Heismans in football during creampuff season. We think freshman are going to be all-world and we think we have great depth because someone scores 3o pts against Abilene Christian (exaggerating)

      2. Unfortunately, that will happen when your stars stay on for extra years. No one wants to sit these days if you could start elsewhere.

  10. So if there is any hope to keep Georgia it’s back to Australia for her in the off season correct. She has to be on home soil for NIL deals, correct? Or has something changed.

    1. NIL or Brooks might keep her but the relationship she has with Kitley and King might see her go. I could see her look around and think “my close friends are gone.”

      1. Yep, I’m kinda seeing that, even why Liz stuck around for this season. They’re buddies, even some of the last year’s team came back for the High Point game. Beautiful really, I’m already sad to see them go, ah well, enjoy it now.

    2. Yes, she has to be in Australia when she receives the NIL money, which is part of the reason why she went back this summer.

  11. Will it be the Clara show at center or the Strack show? Or both? Kind of annointed after JUST previewing this season how Strack will back up Kitley and is more advanced than Kitley was at the same age,

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