It has been two weeks since the Virginia Tech women's basketball team was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the hands of Oregon, 70-60. It was a disappointing loss for a team that made it back to the 68-team field in March after being the first team left out a year ago.
After the loss, second-year head coach Megan Duffy shifted he focus to the 2026-27 season. She is losing two seniors, Kilah Freelon and Mel Daley, two forwards who transferred in last spring. There are some players that the Hokies would love to retain as key pieces to the roster and lineup for next season.
Last week, it was announced that Kayl Petersen is going to enter the Transfer Portal when it opens next week. On Wednesday, Virginia Tech picked up a commitment from graduate transfer Alyssa Latham from Tennessee. On Thursday, Carleigh Wenzel announced that she was returning for next season to play a third year for Duffy. On Friday morning, there was more good news for Tech in terms of retention.
Virginia Tech WBB gets more retention for 2026-27 season
On Friday morning, the team's X account posted a tweet that Aniya Trent and Amani Jenkins are returning for next season. Both are young, but both have a lot of promise down the line and can be big pieces of the rotation as soon as next year. Trent played in 29 games this season and averaged 1.8 points and 2.4 rebounds a game in just under 10 minutes. As for Jenkins, she averages 1.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15 games and averages just under seven minutes a night.
Now, all eyes turn toward Carys Baker and her decision for next year. She has been as vital to the lineup as Wenzel has been. She has the ability to score both inside and outside and has thrived under Duffy. Word should come soon as to what her decision is, but Hokies fans will be holding their breath until a decision is announced.