When the Las Vegas Aces drafted former Virginia Tech women's basketball star Elizabeth Kitley in the 2024 WNBA Draft, they waited a year for her to rehab her knee injury before she was going to be able to take the court in a game. When she was able to play this year, they released her in a surprising move.
It took a couple of months for her to get back into the WNBA, but she has found a home, even if it's just a seven-day contract.
Golden State signs former Virginia Tech standout Elizabeth Kitley
The Golden State Valkyries announced on Wednesday that they have signed Kitley to a seven-day hardship contract to replace Tip Hayes, who has been ruled out for about a week with a knee injury. This year with the Aces, she played in 12 games, averaging 1.3 points and 14 rebounds. The second-round pick, 24th overall, had 11 points and five rebounds on May 25 in a 102-82 loss to the Seattle Storm.
Roster Update: The Golden State Valkyries have signed center Elizabeth Kitley to a seven-day hardship contract as Tip Hayes has been ruled out for approximately one week due to a knee injury. pic.twitter.com/A20qneMC2m
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) September 3, 2025
On July 1, Las Vegas waived Kitley, and as you can expect, it came as a surprise and upset Virginia Tech fans after everything she had been through. You knew at the time that there was going to be another team that would look to sign her, as she still has too much basketball left. It took just over two months, but hopefully, this is an open door she can take advantage of.
Kitley, who had her number retired back in January at Cassell Coliseum during a Virginia Tech win over Louisville, is the only former Hokies player to have her number hanging in the rafters, never to be worn again by another Virginia Tech player. Kitley will get her first shot with her new team on Thursday night when Golden State hosts Dallas at 10 p.m. ET. The Valkyries are currently in sixth place before Wednesday night's slate of games.