If you were to look back at Virginia Tech women’s basketball’s 2023 Final Four run, you would see Liz Kitley and Georgia Amoore’s highlights – and rightfully so.
But you probably won’t see any highlights of Cayla King, the now-graduate guard who started every game last season for the Hokies, and who has the opportunity to make a bigger name for herself this season.
This is not to discredit Kitley or Amoore for their accomplishments and contributions to Virginia Tech. King did not get as much buzz because she averaged roughly eight points per game and was solid from beyond the arc, shooting 37% from three. But this season, Cayla King’s role will be more important than ever due to the loss of Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule to the WNBA.
Traylor and Soule’s roles at the three and four positions elevated head coach Kenny Brooks’s squad by allowing Soule to rotate off of Kitley to free up space in the interior, which allowed Kitley to flourish, Traylor to be open on the wings, and if needed, send the rock back up top to Amoore.
Now, while it’s going to be Matilda Ekh and Rose Micheaux’s job to fill those holes left behind by Traylor and Soule, Cayla King has the opportunity to step up in the two position to make Ekh and Micheaux’s jobs easier. The ability for her to do so is there: her lethality from long-range and opportunity to make space is why she is a starter on a Final Four team.
Without King, Virginia Tech would not have made it to a game before the national championship. But for the Hokies to get back there again and bring a trophy to Blacksburg, Cayla King must step up in her final year and produce more than she ever has for Virginia Tech.