After the Virginia Tech women's basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the first round against Oregon, you knew there were going to be some changes this offseason. It was just a matter of who.
When the Transfer Portal opened in April, there were some surprising names that hit the portal, including point guard Mackenzie Nelson and forward Carys Baker. Nelson ended up committing to Clemson, and Baker to Louisville. Head coach Megan Duffy did get some retention from guard Carleigh Wenzel.
Duffy also landed some commitments through the portal, including a pair of players from Tennessee, Lauren Hurst and Alyssa Latham. Duffy got more retention from her roster for this past season, as well as some incoming freshmen. On Monday, the Hokies added to their roster for next winter when they got a commitment from freshman Francesca Baldassarre.
Megan Duffy adds to Virginia Tech women's basketball 2026-27 roster with commitment from Francesca Baldassare
Baldassare, who is from Italy, is a 5-foot-9 guard, and she spent two seasons playing in Italy's top league, Serie A1. In 2025-26, she averaged 8.9 points a game and shot 26% from behind the arc. Her experience in Italy's top league should pay dividends in college.
Baldassare is the 12th player added to the Hokies' roster for next season, with three roster spots remaining open. She joins fellow incoming freshmen Kaleo Anderson and Arianna Harris-Motts. Redshirt freshman Katie Sears is expected to make her Virginia Tech debut after she suffered an injury that cost her the 2025-26 season.
Latham comes to the Hokies and Duffy as a graduate student, while Hurst is a sophomore. Those additions should fit in around the returning key pieces that Duffy retained, including Samyha Suffren, Leila Wells, and Amani Jenkins. Expect Duffy to add another player or two before the season begins in November.
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