Virginia Tech Women's Basketball: One Hokies' Returner Thriving Under Megan Duffy

When Kenny Brooks left Virginia Tech last March after the Hokies were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for Kentucky, he took his coaching staff and some players with him, which was no surprise. Some players opted to stay in Blacksburg for first-year coach Megan Duffy and one of those players was point guard Carleigh Wenzel.

The Texas native opted to stay and it’s been a big decision through five games. Yes, I know, five games is a small sample size in a long college basketball season, but the returns have been better than expected after spending last season behind Georgia Amoore.

Carleigh Wenzel has had a strong start to 2024-25

Again, it’s only five games, but you can not be impressed by the way she has played. She has done it all for Duffy. She has handled the ball, driven to the basket, and drawn fouls to get to the free-throw line. Against Rutgers Tuesday night, things weren’t going for her, but she stuck with it and was rewarded.

After missing each of her 11 field goal attempts in the first half, she did what good shooters do, she kept shooting and once one went through, the basket got bigger and she found a rhythm. She knocked down three 3-pointers in the second half, including a big one during a game-changing fourth-quarter run from the Hokies. She was open on the wing in front of the Virginia Tech bench and the ball found her and she didn’t hesitate shooting and knocking down a 3-pointer.

So far through five games, she averaging 16.8 points a game, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 steals. She had five steals against Rutgers. There is no doubt that she is thriving in Duffy’s system and becoming a key contributor to the Hokies.