Virginia Tech basketball: Lady Hokies pick up a trio of key transfers for 2023-24

Virginia Tech head women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks is going for it all. After making the first Final Four in school history — men’s or women’s — star center and ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley and sharpshooting guard Cayla King both decided to return for one more year in Blacksburg.

However, the Hokies lost two key performers from last season, Taylor Soule and Kayana Traylor. Both were selected in the WNBA draft, and Brooks knew he’d have difficulty replacing them in the lineup next season.

This week, Brooks proved why he’s one of the best in the business, landing three significant additions from the NCAA transfer portal:

• Wake Forest forward Olivia Summiel
• Michigan State F/G Matilda Ekh
• Minnesota forward Alanna Micheaux

Ekh and Micheaux were All-Big Ten performers, while Summiel started for the Demon Deacons for the last two seasons.

Summiel is a 6-foot-2 forward from Dayville, CT., with one year of eligibility remaining. Summiel averaged 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game at Wake last season.

Micheaux, a 6-foot-2 junior from Wayne, Mich., averaged 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Golden Gophers. She has two years of eligibility remaining.

Ekh became the last commitment of the week for the Hokies, and she brings another sharpshooter to Virginia Tech’s backcourt, joining Georgia Amoore and King. The 6-foot-0 Ekh averaged 11.8 points, three rebounds and two assists per game in 2022-23. The Sweden native also has two years of eligibility remaining.

The combination of Micheuax and Summiel should replace Soule while also giving Brooks some depth coming off the bench.

Ekh will replace Traynor, and she comes to Blacksburg as one of the best 3-point shooters in college basketball. Ekh is a career 39% 3-point shooter, making 138 of her 354 attempts.

These were excellent additions for the Hokies, which should keep them among the nation’s best teams for the next two years — at least. Amoore has two years of eligibility remaining, and Brooks has brought in some promising young players, too.

Welcome to Virginia Tech, Olivia, Alanna and Matilda.