Elizabeth Kitley didn't get a chance to shine in this year's postseason after tearing her ACL in the Virginia Tech women's basketball team's final regular-season game.
But the star center has already done more than enough to draw attention around the WNBA heading into Monday's draft.
“I was there for a few games and practices for her… right before the injury actually happened, she was clearly playing her best basketball,” Los Angeles Sparks general manager Regan Pebley said on a WNBA video conference Thursday. I think he was playing,” he said. “Playing with a point guard.” [Georgia Amoore] I think it really added a lot to her development, like she was able to play with. I think the fact that she had a lot of ball screen action definitely helped prepare her for the W. ”
As such, Kitley is expected to be selected in Monday's third-round draft, although last month's ACL surgery will prevent him from playing in the WNBA until next year.
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“One GM or coach told me that in the last month of her career, her stock went up because she was always scoring 20 points. [points] and 10 [rebounds] The kind of numbers that can be unstoppable at times in the college game, proving she can be a consistent backup [center] in the WNBA,” ESPN analyst and former WNBA star Rebecca Lobo said in a video conference.
“For some athletes in her position in the league, it's hard to see how her game plays out on the defensive side. But definitely the player, especially right now with her They have a year to work with her or help her rehab and get her to where she wants to be next season, so…I think a lot of coaches and GMs are thinking about that as their backup. can become a player who can help [center] spot. “
In the 12-team WNBA, even a healthy first-round draft pick doesn't guarantee a spot on a team. A team can only have a maximum of 12 players on its regular season roster. For salary cap reasons, he may only carry 11 depending on the team.
So there are teams with rosters willing to use Kitley's pick and wait until next year for her to contribute.
“The reality is that it is very difficult for second- and third-round picks to make WNBA rosters. Certain first-round picks who are selected late have a hard time making WNBA rosters.” said Lobo. “We're talking about 144 leagues.” [players]. This is he not in a 144 man league. … A lot of these teams only have his 11 players, but maybe by the end of the season he'll be able to shoulder the 12.
“Liz Kitley, Mackenzie Holmes [are] Two players who will be drafted this year [what] We may not have room on the team's roster, but we will make deferred picks because we know these are players who could help in the future. ”
Holmes, who starred at Indiana University, will undergo knee surgery. Like Kitley, Holmes won't be able to play in the WNBA until next year.
Kitley tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the team's loss to Virginia on March 3. She missed the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
“What happened is really heartbreaking,” said Pebley, who is in his first year as Sparks general manager. “[It’s hard] Every time you see a player go through an injury at any point in their career, especially at that point Virginia Tech was having a special season. ”
But Pebley said Kitley still has “a lot of runway ahead of her.”
“She's going to have a great career…with her versatility, her footwork ability and her impact around the rim,” said Pebley, a former WNBA player and former college coach.
The 6-foot-6 Kitley was one of 15 prospects invited by the WNBA to attend the draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York on Monday.
“She has great size at 6-6 and a great wingspan,” said Lobo, who will be one of the analysts on ESPN's draft coverage. “She has certainly honed her skill set in that environment of hers. [then-Tech coach] kenny [Brooks].she [was] A player who could be a little off-balance early in his career. … They started using that to her advantage — “Okay, if you’re going to throw her off balance, let’s perfect that little fadeaway shot.”
Kitley was named to the Associated Press All-American Second Team this year for the second year in a row. The three-time ACC Player of the Year averaged 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds as a graduate student this year.
Kitley, who helped lead Tech to the 2023 Final Four, feels he has grown as a player this year.
“It has a lot to do with the needs of our team,” she said in an interview Friday. “Both me and Georgia were able to take more shots this year. We were missing some of the key pieces from last year.”
Had Kitley turned pro last year, he would have been expected to be a first-round pick in the 2023 draft. However, she chose to return to the tech industry for an additional year of qualification.
She feels the longer college season has made her even more prepared for the WNBA.
“I gained more skills,” she said.
In ESPN.com's Feb. 22 mock draft, Kitley was expected to go to Atlanta with the 12th and final pick of the first round this year.
Then the knee injury happened.
In ESPN.com's mock draft last week, Kitley was projected to go to Washington with the 21st overall pick in the second round.
Kitley, who has done several interviews with WNBA teams via video conference, isn't worried about which team will accept her.
“I don't want to be overwhelmed with information… [so] No matter what happens, I will not be disappointed,” she said. “You don’t want to start expecting things to be really difficult when you don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I also want to be excited no matter what. …I don’t have my sights set on a particular team.”
But ESPN's cameras may show Kitley waiting on the table for some time before being selected Monday. Did that make her seriously consider whether to accept her invitation to participate in the draft last week?
“I don't know,” she said with a laugh. “I’d rather be someone sitting there waiting than not being there at all.”
