Disappointment

Really sad to see. And I'm not talking about the players or coaches. Yes the lead starts slipping but it's so sad to see comments flooding in saying "chokies" "of course they'd blow it" "Brooks is making horrible decisions." These girls have left it all out there. They aren't giving up. Not when they are getting tackled to the floor or hit in the face. They aren't barking at the refs for the horrible calls they made and getting technicals. We said we were disrespected by no one paying attention to us and here we are, in a competitive game, and they aren't pouting, they aren't complaining. They are the same calm, composed team they have been in all the adversity they have played. Yeah I'm disappointed in the outcome, but we should absolutely stand behind this team for what they have done.

DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.

Comments

Proud of the team, bummed by the outcome.

There's always a lighthouse. There's always a man. There's always a city.

They showed heart and have nothing to be ashamed of

Let's Go---

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

HOKIES!!!

So proud of the players and program. So pissed at the lack of a fair game

Danny is always open

We made the Final Four, dammit!

I wish they were going to the final, but I'm not disappointed.

Completely agree. So proud of everything this season. We set so many records and handled ourselves with class this entire time. Great representatives of VT.

We put the K in Kwality

Well shit.

Super proud of those young women. Hell of a season. But I'm still gonna go wallow in sadness for a few hours and pick up being super proud of them again tomorrow.

Run it back next year, ladies! Job's not done! LET'S GO!

HOKIES!!

Go Hokies

Reach for Excellence!

VT Football: It'll get after ya!

Proud Hokie since 2004.

Unfortunately, that's a disappointment that is going to be remembered for decades. 20 point swing in a 10 min 4th quarter while only scoring 3 points is about as bad a choke job as it gets in that moment.

This is my school
This is home

I think what we'll remember is that they made the Final Four.

He's not wrong so why the downvotes

His statement isn't technically wrong. His "choke job" assessment is pretty immature.

Is coronavirus over yet?

If this happened to a rival like UVa we'd be laughing about their collapse. Sometimes you just gotta take the L and call it for what it was.

LSU was ready for that moment. We very much were not. We had a 10 point lead with 10 mins to go and choked it away. It is what it is

This is my school
This is home

It's times like this I truly wonder how you are the upvote leader on this site. That said, i dont downvote and have never downvoted you. This team accomplished so much this year and you just gotta spew shit on them. There are so many real tragedies in life just waiting for you that will make a sports loss like this look like a fart in the wind. I hope you never find out what I'm talking about.

My wife takes the kids and leaves the house while I watch my Hokie games.........nuff said

I'll chime in here and agree with you, Hokietopher. Your real life experiences are unimaginable and heartbreaking, and really put things in perspective. I can never understand but feel for you. But, your perspective has really given me a new outlook on VT sports. I used to get flat out pissed when we lost in football. Like, unreal stupid pissed. And it's just not worth that level of emotional investment anymore. I'm happy for the good times, and I might get shitty now and then, but I try to check myself and let the bad times roll off. College sports when I'm in my mid 30s just don't warrant such a visceral response anymore. Trying to take the good with the bad a bit more in life.

Funny anecdote - at the old Ham's on formerly High Point Rd in Greensboro for the ACC tourney way back when, during karaoke I belted out Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" and didn't realize the real lyrics were, "I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter." I loudly belted, "I loved deeper, and I smoked sweet herb." Lolz

Thank you my friend.

My wife takes the kids and leaves the house while I watch my Hokie games.........nuff said

I have two friends that I'm helping through some crises in their lives. One a 23 year old single mom of two with a third on the way who was nearly evicted twice so far this year; the other a 44 year old about to have heart surgery in just under 4 weeks; it will be her 46th surgery(including 8 other heart surgeries, a brain aneurysm, cancer surgery and has died on the table 5 separate times) AND faces two more surgeries this year at a minimum; and lost her apartment and 90% of their stuff in a flooding incident last summer; lost her job, and spent multiple stints in ICU. I was able to help them get into a new apartment and to ensure they had a great Christmas-not coincidentally the best Christmas I have ever had.

So yeah, while I love my Hokies and am disappointed when we lose, it pales in comparison to real life. I thank God for my blessings every day and for the opportunity to share them with others.

Go Hokies!

From the 2018 VT-uva game-"This is when LEGENDS are made!"

You're a good man Skippy. Have a leg.

BTW- I was also at that 1988 Southern Miss double OT game you reference in your bio.....what a game.

My wife takes the kids and leaves the house while I watch my Hokie games.........nuff said

Ut Prosim in action, my friend

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

I'm happy for you and all, but you don't know me. Don't try to project ypur struggles onto me. If reading an honest take of last night's game triggered you to this extent, that's a you problem, not me.

For the record, I'm proud of the team, they accomplished a heck of a lot. But at the end of the day, that loss and the manner it happened will be remembered, and that makes me sad for what the season was before then.

This is my school
This is home

But at the end of the day, that loss and the manner it happened will be remembered, and that makes me sad for what the season was before then.

Pretty much a very hard disagree on this. At the end of the day, i think most Hokies are going to remember "the Final Four run" way more than they're going to remember the particulars of the loss at the end of it.

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

Yup. ☝️

My wife takes the kids and leaves the house while I watch my Hokie games.........nuff said

You're right about this. And, as much as sports teach us about how to respond to adversity in real life, of course real life has worse outcomes and hardships than a final score. But, that doesn't change your assessment. We blew it. That doesn't take anything away from an amazing season, but that was a let down of epic proportions. We were clearly the better team and we folded like a tent. Handed them the game and potentially the title. No 2 ways about it. That is just a fact

"That's it guys. Let's get out of here. That cold drink's waitin' on us, let's go." - Mike Young after win no. 300.

I was going to ask OP what kind of Hokie out there is talking about choke, but here you are.

I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

The content everyone comes back for...

“These people are losing their minds. This is beautiful.”

Redacted

Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

This sub-thread was locked by a moderator.

Crossing from "this is a bad take" territory into "you're a bad person" territory is too far. I know emotions are running high but this is out-of-bounds with respect for CGs

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

This sub-thread was locked by a moderator.

Have a leg for the edit. Cheers

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

This sub-thread was locked by a moderator.

This reminds me why I left the TSL message boards. Don't be like them.

Deposit whiskey, receive wisdom.

I've loved watching this team play so dang much. It was so close but we just couldn't pull it off. Georgia Amoore is still my favorite Hokie.

We got to see the Hokies in the final four. I legitimately never thought I'd be able to say that. Only one team is happy at the end of the season. Ladies should hold their heads high. What a season.

"The Big Ten is always using excuses to cancel games with us. First Wisconsin. Then Wisconsin. After that, Wisconsin. The subsequent cancellation with Wisconsin comes to mind too. Now Penn State. What's next? Wisconsin?" -HorseOnATreadmill

These ladies brought a flood of great attention to the program. Even losing they set us up for future success. I love them and everything they did for us. Go Hokies!

FAM!!!!!!!

So close... I love this team. I love Kenny Brooks. This loss does not take away from the amazing season the girls had. We are a legit program at this point. I do think we will continue to see more great things from VT WBB.

Great job girls! You've made us all very proud, both in the way you play and in the absolute classy way you carry yourselves (much more so than almost all of your opponents).

Go Hokies!!!

Is coronavirus over yet?

Ahead in the 4th qtr..... Lose the National Championship in New Orleans.

Ahead in the 4th qtr.... Lose in the final 4 in Dallas.

Disappointed. But proud of the team, coaches.
Close. Gotta keep grinding.

Go Hokies!

We had it and we lost it, just like we did in '99. It freaking hurts.

Since you brought it up...

Its been 24 years since we've sniffed this kind of apex across ANY sport at VT (Bass fishing doesn't count... take it up with me on another thread). 24 years. For the lucky ones, that's almost 1/3 of our expected life.

We collectively need to appreciate the ride we had this season and keep donating. We cannot sit idle and just assume lightning is going to strike twice. We saw it in football, and we never got there. We didn't capitalize on what we achieved that year by continuing to invest.

If we want to see this again open up your wallets and put just a little bit more into your annual donation. Be proud of what was accomplished this year. Invest more to see more next year.

(Bass fishing doesn't count... take it up with me on another thread).

It counts. This thread works.

You will see this game, this upset and this sign next on ESPN Sportscenter. Virginia Tech 31 Miami 7

His decision was made after a phone call with longtime Virginia Tech assistant coach Bud Foster. All Foster told him was, "We win. They don't."

Yup.

Reel men fish on Wednesdays

Ted Lasso season 1 finale speech

Had to go to YouTube to rewatch one of my favorite scenes from Ted Lasso re: disappointing losses. I love this this team, it sucks now but they gave us so much to cheer for and to be proud of. Onward. Forward.

The Owusu injury really hurt the depth. Didn't get much out of Gaiman either. Not sure why she wasn't trusted enough to spell the guards more than she has down the stretch. That ends up being the difference, I think - the lack of depth. They just ran out of gas. Either way, they have made Hokie Nation very proud. They carry themselves so well. They are a fantastic representation of our school as is Kenny Brooks. Hopefully we can build off of this, improve recruiting (I think we have a top 25 class coming in), and get back to the Final Four in the near future. As the women's game continues to grow in parody, aided a lot by the portal and exposure of the game, we can repeat this and even go further. Go Hokies!

At this point every player but Amoore has commented or retweeted something negative about Osuwu. That's telling.

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

Join us in the Key Players Club

Did some Twitter sleuthing and even Georgia 'liked' that tweet from Kayana.

Counted at least 7 retweets or likes from players on the team.

Seeing some other replies to people on there too. This one said "free Owusu" and a player said "she been free to go"

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

Join us in the Key Players Club

It's pretty hard to argue with the coach who presided over the ACC Champions and VT's first Final Four.

I don't doubt that she's a talented player, but it's a team sport.

Fuck a duck

Great season for HOKIES WBB! Fun to watch team! Love coach Brooks!

I seldom speak to loluva grads, but when I do, I tell them I want large fries.

Ok lads, I just turned the page. This sucks, but I ain't crying anymore over WBB final four. Spring hall is happening and we have a spring game coming up. We will be 5-7 but it will be glorious. Let's go Hokies, have a great summer, and fuck a duck. Also fuck LSU and SC and their little all SEC shit. Wish I was as dumb as the Deep South.

honestly Im about to cry for the first time after a vt loss

Danny is always open

The players handled this loss way better than some of our fans. We went in with zero expectations this year, and ended up in the Final Four. Great run by arguably the best team ever at Virginia Tech.

But make no mistake about it....We will be back!

TKPhi Damn Proud
BSME 2009

It hurts because it's still fresh and being this close to bringing home the hardware and it not happening is disappointing, but I'm not disappointed in this squad, coaches, or what they achieved. If anything I'm grateful because I got to see this team in person this season and watching greatness in Orange and Maroon was something special.

Onwards and upwards.

I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

Nobody can take away that we are the ACC Champions and made the final 4.

Go Ladies and enjoy your rest. For those that come back, welcome back. For those that move on, great luck in your next adventure.

There's a great WBB class coming to Blacksburg according to ESPN. I'm hoping for good things in the future.

Go Hokies!

This team kicks ass.

Football season sucked, men basketball started great and crapped the bed...this women's team was special...that fourth quarter hurt but it's the closest we've been to a national championship since 99'. Those women should hold their heads high and be remembered among the ELITE of VT athletics period.

When do they return! We need to meet them and applaud them hard.

Pain is Temporary, Chicks Dig Scars
Glory is Forever, Let's Go Hokies!!

I think I saw somewhere there's a Welcome Home party tonight on campus at 6pm

I've seen this a lot of places but we do know our men's soccer team reached the final 4 in 2007 and our women's team lost 3-2 on a late goal in the final 4 in 2013?

Gobble Till You Wobble

Both teams lost by 1 goal to the eventual national champion, as well

This is my school
This is home

Found Owusu's TKP account...

/s kinda

"GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM LITTLE BROTHER, THE CUP IS COMIN’ ON HOME!”

Lol y'all are so triggered by me just stating my thoughts about how the season ended that you're downvoting actual statements of facts. If ya ain't cheerleading you're apparently a terrible human being, I guess. (Yeah, I saw that comment before it was forced to be redacted.)

Yeesh and I wonder why I've largely abandoned this site.

This is my school
This is home

The subthread for the edited-out comment was locked for a reason, and the comment was addressed as crossing CGs. Leaning into the antagonism isn't doing you any favors with getting the benefit of the doubt with community perception. Nobody can make you stop being perpetually glass half-empty, but understand that most around here are looking at this Final Four run as half-full

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

Lol the community already made up it's mind about me. I have people setting up algorithms to downvoted everything I say, I'm not wanted here, it's been abundantly clear for a while.

This is my school
This is home

I want you here.
/big hug.

Look Alum, you've been on the site longer than 99% of the users. I appreciate your level headed and grounded views on almost every topic. I value your perspective.

But you went into the "I hate when people say chokies" post and basically said "lol chokies". what else was expected?

VB born, class of '14

lmao triggered much????? /s

anyhow -- there is one serial downvoter. Idk what to do about it or even what could be done. It's annoying but it's nothing really beyond that. Don't project three downvotes onto the entire community

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

Based on your overall leg count I'd say that, for the most part, the community values your inputs.

I can't speak for everyone but I know that I value a majority of your inputs. Some things you say I don't jive with but thats okay.

I, too, have had a dv stalker. You and I can't possibly be the only ones. The algorithm claim seems a bit tin hat-ish though.

It's okay to be upset that the women's team lost. It sucks a lot when the team you root for loses. People are going to express their frustration in different ways. Let's not turn this into a battle of personalities. We don't need infighting here.

I think it would be good for all of us to just recognize we all deal with disappointment differently.

Onward and upward

I think you're one of the most rational posters on this site. Unless you've engaged in personal attacks or noise that I haven't seen, I see nothing about any of your posts that warrants a downvote. We don't, or at least we aren't supposed to downvote opinions around here. Worst of all, saying that we blew that game isn't even a negative subjective opinion. It is an objective fact. The same reason many people are really hurting. It stings bc it was right there and we let it slip away. Keep posting. I enjoy your objective takes about the school you love

"That's it guys. Let's get out of here. That cold drink's waitin' on us, let's go." - Mike Young after win no. 300.

Neither of those things are true-

'07 men's lost to Wake Forest by 2 goals.

The FSU team that beat the '13 women's team lost in the final.

Bummed by the outcome for sure. Not a ball fan, but made sure to tune in tonight. I hope one day that VT can get over that elusive team championship hump. Regardless, even though I'm not a big donator, I dropped a few dollars onto WBB tonight and likely one of my largest one time donations. They earned every penny of it. I'm happy that the ladies had one hell of a season and a Final 4 in basketball still sounds better than a runner up in my book (as stupid as that seems).

Go Hokies!

No shame in losing in the final four. It's incredibly hard just to get there. Great season, and a foundation to build on. Plus my wife's Hawkeyes made sure there are no wahoos coaching in the championship.

Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in bad humor.

Damn y'all, I watched the postgame and almost cried. I cannot imagine the time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears it takes to even sniff this level of competition. Way down on the totem pole, my lowly fan perspective of being this gd close, closest since '99, feels like an enormous gut punch. But, I'm not going to dwell. However, f the SEC and modern college athletics as my parting shot.

Great team, unreal run this year. Truth be told, really awakened me to how insanely good the women's basketball team is from following them this season. They are insanely talented and I thank them all and Coach Brooks for exemplifying Hokie values. This was a special year and I hope the team knows how special it was for all of us.

Chin up, and let's rip shit up next year.

Best team in Tech history. Amazing to watch the run.

Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

It's officially spring football season.

It's tough but as good as Brooks has built up this squad, does he really do more with less? I think we generally play at our level then are good to give away at least one we should win in the postseason

16 game winning streak into the Final Four with mostly a 6 lady rotation isn't doing more with less?

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

They're for the most part elite talents

Yeah and a single bench player in any sport is nuts, doesn't matter how elite

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

"I'm extremely proud of this group, not because of what they accomplished on the court, but how the conduct themselves on the court, how they conduct themselves in our community, and this is the best year of basketball I've ever had in my life."

Kenny Brooks, post game press conference

This may well be the most complete team Virginia Tech has ever produced in any sport, and it's sad that some feel the need to make denigrating comments because they lost a very tight game in the basketball quarter semi-final.

It wasn't their best game. Unfortunately, in a tournament, you always have to be on.

I suspected they were going to be in trouble when Taylor Soule got into foul trouble. VT wasn't really deep enough to afford losing her for significant minutes in a very physical game. But there is also the question of style of play, when mugging on the court is allowed. Brooks talks about WNBA rules that college women's basketball should adopt.

VT women's basketball will get a lot of recruiting credibility out of this. Brooks already is already thinking about this. Don't think of this as the end, think of it as the beginning. This won't be the last time you hear some noise from Kenny Brooks and VT in the NCAA tournament.

*semi-final

Danny is always open

Correct you are.

They absolutely did not choke. Tired legs and bruised bodies and just could not keep up in the fourth period. Putting down this team after all they have done for Tech is horrid and the way they represented the school , Maybe those making such comments need to realize they just choked. Why would anyone want to play for you or stay for their last year. You did not just choke you showed no class. THANK YOU LADIES

James Lacy

I'll put it this way, most of us likely never watched a second of women's basketball until this run! I was very impressed with this team and coach and will follow very closely from now on. We put a lot of stock in football delivering a natty, but it is far more likely to come from another sport first and I wouldn't be surprised to see it from the women's side of the athletic department.

"Take care of the little things and the big things will come."

This is true.

I had watched parts of games, but I don't think I'd ever watched a complete Hokie women's basketball game before this season.

Very proud of this team. Sure, it wasn't the result we hoped for but acc Champs and a final 4 appearance is damn good. It was a hell of a ride and I don't think we really have anything to hang our heads about.

Go Hokies!

Onward and upward

I rationalized this with no one really stood a chance beating USC regardless just to wake up and see Iowa won so that stings a bit.

(add if applicable) /s

Hey look on the bright side: it won't be an sec love fest. Dawn Staley won't be there. And if lsu manages to win we will have lost a hard fought game to the eventual champ.

Onward and upward

I'll still be pulling for Iowa over LSU.

Caitlin Clark certainly lived up to the billing. 41 points!!

Onward and upward

It's true though. Neither VT nor LSU could have beaten USCe in the Finals. ;)

2023 Season Challenge: TBD
Previous Challenges: Star Wars (2019), Marvel (2020), Batman (2021), Wrasslin' (2022)

but I would have loved to see our matchup with Iowa!

A great season. A Final Four banner will be hung. An ACC Championship banner will be hung. Nothing to be upset about in this season.

I know getting so close to the championship and missing sucks, but getting to the Final Four is no small feat in itself.

As for the choke comments, I don't think you can really say that. It was our first time in the Final Four. It's not like we get there regularly. Did LSU choke away their initial lead? The game went back and forth and was a bit frustrating w/the refs. But it is what it is and still a great accomplishment for this team. I'd say choking is more being a number 1 seed and losing in the first round. That's a choke job. Losing in the final four is nothing to be ashamed about.

Great season ladies, congrats. Go Hokies!

If you don't want to recruit clowns, don't run a clown show.

"I want to punch people from UVA right in the neck." - Colin Cowherd

>Underdogs heading into the game
>"Nobody believes in us!"
>Lose the game
>"Such a chokejob!"

🤦‍♂️

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

If you can't manage your emotions after a loss, don't follow sports. It's as simple as that. If you can't handle your alcohol, then drinking isn't for you. If you can't handle losing, sports is simply not your thing.

Deposit whiskey, receive wisdom.

Proud of the team. I wish we as a fanbase would stop with the "every game we lose has bad refs" that seems to be present in football and basketball threads.

2023 Season Challenge: TBD
Previous Challenges: Star Wars (2019), Marvel (2020), Batman (2021), Wrasslin' (2022)

And I wish the refs had called an even game 🤷‍♂️

Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

It's not the reason we lost. But if you can look at me with a straight face and say those refs weren't atrocious, we weren't watching the same game.

"GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM LITTLE BROTHER, THE CUP IS COMIN’ ON HOME!”

I have a friend who is a high school primarily and small college ref rarely, who watched the Tenn game and said that was the worst refereed game he had ever seen.

I don't think Sally Jenkins (of the Washington Post) is a huge VT fan, but she made several live comments about the refs in that game.

"every game we lose has bad refs"
seems to me that every game we win has bad refs!

I seldom speak to loluva grads, but when I do, I tell them I want large fries.

Yes. This. Win or lose. They're all so bad. Men's and women's.

"GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM LITTLE BROTHER, THE CUP IS COMIN’ ON HOME!”

Honestly I think the reason it feels this way so often (for this team, not sure about football or men's basketball) is that we're more of a finesse team overall, and I think that means bad refereeing hurts us in either direction. If the refs aren't calling anything, we get mugged constantly and aren't as good at doing it back. If the refs are calling too much, the other team seeks out contact more aggressively and gets blocks called on us for even daring to try to defend (see: SD state game). I guess it's just a downside to that sort of playstyle, but it's still a frustrating way to watch a loss happen, so I think it's understandable that people are a bit upset about it as fans. I am obviously biased, but I don't think there's any way you can watch the majority of this run even as a neutral (especially vs SD state, Tenn, and LSU) and feel like bad officiating didn't hurt us significantly more than it helped us.

Except that this time, the refs truly sucked. It's not a matter of opinion.

Look, I'm not a basketball person. I definitely don't understand fouls, and I really don't like how they're basically a part of the basketball playbook. That being said, even I could tell that most of the calls in that game were bullshit. I still don't know how our players were basically getting assaulted, yet taking the fouls.

And from what I'm seeing online today, they were worse in the title game.

My only disappointment is we didn't send that pink flowery sandpaper home crying. Other then that It's all gravy at this point. You can't get that upset when you end up in the last four teams out of 350ish schools. Essentially we were the 1%s this season.

Going to be interested to see who Brooks focuses on in the portal now that he can start work on the 23-24 season. We know two big contributors (Soule/Traylor) are gone for sure, looks like Gregg is also gone and we still don't know what Kitley plans to do. We will be a very different team next season so hopefully he can put it all together to keep us rolling.

His incoming class will have chemistry already similar to King/Kitley. Clara Strack, Carys Baker and Mackenzie Nelson (Naismith All American Honorable Mention and 2x Gatorade POY in Conn) play together on Team Exodus out of New York. I am hoping that the connection to Team Exodus (probably Top 10 in country AAU wise) bears fruit in the 24 class as well in the form of a commitment from 6'5 forward Kate Koval. She would be a monster get for Brooks and having three teammates here might be the tipping point. Samyha Suffren is another incoming point guard with slick ball handling skills.

We will likely also get to see last year's class emerge more with our second Aussie, Charlise Dunn getting some run alongside Carleigh Wenzel. Not sure what to expect from Maddie Vejsicky with the logjam of guards.

I expect to see Brooks focus on bringing in a couple Forwards from the portal since we are loaded at the guard spots.

Do we bump up our physicality?
Women's basketball is brutal and when Soule went out with 2 fouls in early I thought '$#&+' because she is our best at bodying up and LSU was taking it to us. (Morris for LSU literally has an assault rap).

It would have to come from the portal for inside help. The guards will be pretty rugged coming from the NY AAU circuit. Not as sure on the current freshmen although the second Aussie was top 10 rated in terms of all international prospects for her class.

Any idea where we stand with Blanca Thomas out of Charlotte? I saw her in Cassell at one of our home games. She will be a top 10 recruit.

Hokies made her cut to 10 schools and does not appear she has put out a shortened list. Five of the 10 are ACC schools so likely we either get her or face her regularly. She is 10th in her class but the #1 Big in the class so all the attention is on her.

Coaching staff were regular visitors at her games and workouts this season. She has really amped up her game defensively (All-Charlotte Observer Defensive POY) as well as in perimeter shooting. She also shot 78% at the line this year.

She was at the Junior National Team minicamp that was held in Dallas in combination with the Final Four.

ESPN does a really poor job tracking recruiting and really wish 247 would pick it up but so far they have not. She is class of 24 so still has plenty of time to make decisions.

Fuck LSU and Tennessee too

If you feel the leather in your hand let it rip.

Awesome season. Sucks to lose but nothing to be ashamed of. It will be really cool to see a Final Four banner hanging in Cassell!

You will see this game, this upset and this sign next on ESPN Sportscenter. Virginia Tech 31 Miami 7

His decision was made after a phone call with longtime Virginia Tech assistant coach Bud Foster. All Foster told him was, "We win. They don't."

I am disappointed that we lost that game, but I'm also feeling excited for our WBB program's near-term potential in a way that I haven't felt for any sport at VT in probably 10 years.

Here's what I mean: I was a freshman at VT for Tyrod's senior season. That team seemed so talented that I truly believed we had a real chance to win every game that we played, no matter the opponent. This women's basketball team gave me that same feeling, especially over the course of the ACC and NCAA tournament runs. And I'd say they completely earned that. Even in Q4 when LSU started pulling away, I had faith this team could somehow make a comeback like they did in Q2 - and I think if the game had one more quarter, we somehow do it. I can't really put into words how refreshing it is to have a team to root for that is worthy of that type of hope.

I think for some of us, the biggest part of the frustration is a feeling that this was our one chance and we won't get another (because this is what years of VT fandom has done to us). But the thing is, I don't think that is necessarily true. It's not like we made a Cinderella run as a low-seeded program that just happened to get hot at the right time or that we caught lightning in a bottle (like MV7). No - we had a great season, won a tough league, and EARNED that 1-seed after years of building for it. This season exceeded expectations but was no fluke. Kenny Brooks seems to understand that we need to capitalize now on our success this season so that it can be sustained. Here's hoping this is the moment we look back on as being the start of a dynasty and just the first of many trips to the Final Four and beyond.

Something else to consider: viewership and national exposure. This was the most-watched women's Final Four EVER.

According to ESPN's initial estimates, the Iowa-South Carolina game was watched by an average of 5.5 million viewers and peaked at 6.6 million. The first Final Four matchup, LSU-Virginia Tech, drew an average of 3.4 million with a peak of 5 million. Together, the 4.5 million average was up 66 percent over last year, and the most-watched women's Final Four on record.

I think the loss would've been easier to swallow (for me, at least) if South Carolina had steamrolled Iowa and LSU to win the title. Seeing Iowa get run off the court by LSU really makes it feel like a missed opportunity for the Hokies.

LSU still "getting away with it".

Reese still working the "surreptitious elbow".

If the refs don't call it, LSU is going to work it.

Officiating has been horrendous

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The problem is that when other teams play as physical as LSU, they get fouls called on them.

They don't call fouls, but they do call traveling.

LSU asking for a review for an elbow is comedy.

VT Marketing Class of 2009
Current Roanoke-Hokie
Go Hokies!

They didn't call it on Reese, they shouldn't call it here.

The double standard of the LSU coach is, in fact, comical.

LSU girl was in the offensive cylinder...shouldn't even be a foul

Mulke did not look happy.

LSU girl knocked her four feet out of bounds while rebounding....side out Iowa

This is Clark's final year, so I would love to hear her call out the officiating post game since she can't be reprimanded.

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Current Roanoke-Hokie
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I don't know if they need better rules, or better refs, or (probably) both.

Caitlin Clark isn't eligible for the draft this year. The WNBA rules on this are pretty archaic.

"That move was slicker than a peeled onion in a bowl of snot." -Mike Burnop

This is such an interesting sport to watch...

Horrendous officiating creates a game that looks like rugby or 70's & 80's NBA basketball. It would be laughable if these poor girls weren't getting bruised and bloody throughout the game. Beyond that, the officials seem to have no sense of what they are supposed to do. It's very difficult to put into words how awful it really is. You must see it to believe it.

Then there's the added comedic entertainment of watching every SEC team and coach whine and cry about every single whistle/non-whistle.

Is coronavirus over yet?

I honestly turned the game off when the Iowa big got elbowed in the face and got called for a foul

For anyone watching the end of the game, Angel Reese is an absolute jerk/thug/b!tc$... She spent the last 90 seconds of the game in Caitlin Clark's face mocking her.

I don't often call out college players, but SMH... How was there not a whistle about it??

Is coronavirus over yet?

Wow, more embarrassing than some of our fans reactions on Friday. Complete lack of class and respect, Flower Power needs to come down on that or I would hope parents think twice before letting their daughter play for that kind of program. Sounds like Owusu would fit right in there.

Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

Come down on it? She encouraged it in post game interview in the few seconds she wasn't talking all about herself.

To me this makes the loss on Friday sting a little bit more, knowing we had a chance to prevent this program from getting any more air time this season.

Reese has been doing this all year. If she was gonna come down on it it would've happened a long, long time ago.

At least the SEC refs actually called technicals/fouls on her.

Who decided that trash talking was the only way to show passion or be a "dog"?

The sad part is, this is where women's sports is going, at least in basketball. Look at the bullshit that was playing out in multiple post game interactions over the course of this one tournament. The most telling thing is just the sheer volume of 'yaaaaaaas queen' enablers who are coming out in defense of this, going straight to the top of the talking heads at ESPN. This is what the networks want. They want the drama.

This is my school
This is home

This isn't just women's basketball or women's sports, this is all sports not named MLB, NHL, NBA. Those sports are established (same for the NFL, but I'm excluding them because of the constant "look at me" celebrations), and dont need antics and glorified headlines to increase viewership.

That should have been an ejection or at least a Technical. But then again if those ref's had called things both ways, she would have had five fouls in the first half.

Yeah, nobody is ever going to call them (Reese or Morris) good sports.

Product of her bitch coach

And I say this knowing she has a well known reputation for being an absolute piece of shit.

This is my school
This is home

I wont get into the name calling, but Reese didn't demonstrate any sportsmanship. From what I recall from our game on Friday I'm certain she's not the only one on the team or the staff that's lacking in that quality.

I would be more upset, but it's obvious you have a complete trash human being developing a culture devoid of any class or sportsmanship, i.e. a pure garbage culture that encourages these girls to be downright horrible people. But it doesn't matter because as long as Flower Power manipulates the refs and it's seen as "standing up for her players", it's cool with the players and the university leadership.

at risk of stating the obvious, this is LSU we're talking about, who lives in the SEC. Winning is above everything else, and the Mouse is all for it as long as it continues to pad the wallet. (i'm paraphrasing what Danny Kanell said below apparently).

The foul on Clark for just pushing the ball out of bounds after a foul was ridiculous. Even the commentators were questioning what the refs were looking at. You could tell Clark was frustrated as hell.

If you don't want to recruit clowns, don't run a clown show.

"I want to punch people from UVA right in the neck." - Colin Cowherd

The fact is that they didn't call some obvious fouls, and then called fouls that weren't there, and the calls DID affect Iowa, as most of their players were either in foul trouble or fouled out by the end of the game, so it definitely advantaged LSU. The same thing affected the VT-LSU game. It rewards the more physical team.

NCAA women refs need to work on the foul-calling. It shouldn't just appear to be random, because random foul calls don't stop the on-court violence.

Not to mention this no call.....nothing to see here....

If you don't want to recruit clowns, don't run a clown show.

"I want to punch people from UVA right in the neck." - Colin Cowherd

Mulky is scum. A cheater. Dirty. Coached at Baylor- enough said. That's why she won a natty though. all costs. VT may never win one in any sport.

SEC. It just means (you get away with) more.

Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

Un...well believable from the NCAA Dumpster Fire today that Amoore was left off this list. Aliyah Boston from South Carolina left off too.

Pretty classic formula for lazy reporting. Take three players from the champion and one each from two of the last 4

Onward and upward

Carson though....played one decent half of basketball, period. Contributed next to nothing in all their other games. Morris and Reese I don't have as much issue with.

Not gonna comment on the drama after the game, but I am glad our players have more class than both Clark and Reese

I will also say that our Coach is better all around.

Kim Mulkey has four national championships and is the only women's college basketball coach to win titles at two schools. I absolutely can not stand her antics and think she comes off incredibly disingenuous and slimy. Maybe the second part is what you mean by "all around", but Mulkey is a great basketball coach.

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

Scott Drew won a national championship at a program that covered up a player murdering another player a few years prior. Art Briles sanctioned and covered up rape. They win things at Baylor. wonder why?

The way I see it, to be a great anything starts with being a good person, especially when you are a leader of people. She may be a winner, but she's not a great coach. That's just how I see it.

Mulkey is not a good person. Beyond being disingenuous, she's also straight up homophobic to the point of telling players not to come out as gay because it would hurt team dynamics, and instructed fans to punch critics in the face when asked to speak of the allegations of 54 counts of sexual harassment or assault by Baylor athletes in 2017 when she was there.

But she wears crazy Plantation Chic apparel on gamedays, doesn't that make her so quirky?!

This is my school
This is home

She has been successful that I can't argue. But the fact that she can't follow the rules of the game she coaches, by simply staying off the court shows me she doesn't respect the game at all. This is just my opinion on how I see the game.

Yeah, she doesn't come off as someone who has a lot of respect for anyone or anything.

When we left the court all semblance of sportsmanship and class left with us. The clown show on the LSU bench and on the court, Clark's antics, Dawn Staley's whiney post game are just an embarrassment

'Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in, and you've got the stock market beat,
but the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile, when his shorts are too tight in the seat'

As much as I'd like to see VT win, I'd prefer them to do it "the right way".

I truly appreciate Coach Brooks and the team he was able to put together this year.

Agree that Clark has been obnoxious the whole tourney and should have been called out before.

Danny is always open

Hang on, are we talking about Caitlin Clark's antics? I didn't know there were any? Or a Clark on LSU?

This is mild compared to what I've seen from other athletes. Color me unimpressed.

Context on this is Clark and Van Lith are former teammates on Team USA and are actually good friends. Clark's was a two second event.

Clark also didn't follow Van Lith around for close to a minute taunting her like Reese did to Clark while skipping the handshake line after the game as well.

Reese also has a deserved reputation of a thug. Clark doesn't.

Staley is a Nolan Richardson wanna be. A miserable person looking for a fight. At least Richardson was actually discriminated against when he was coming up through the ranks.

The ESPN SEC bias supports this narrative. Look at basketball, softball, baseball highlights, scores or news on the ESPN website and it is 99% SEC bias. ESPN is pushing this SEC is the only conference that matters into all our field of view constantly. As a sports fan, it is extremely frustrating.

SCHokie

I took my dad to Dallas and despite the games we had a great time. Dallas was clean, not too big, easy to navigate, and full of friendly people. Now would I do it again? Absolutely not. The officiating is so bad it almost ruins the sport for me. It is disheartening to know that our team won't get a fair game from the worthless officials because
1. We aren't an SEC team.
2. We don't play the big girls bully ball style like USC/LSU that rewards bad basketball

Our game was officiated terribly. The USC/Iowa game was terribly officiated against Iowa. The final was the worst officiated game I've ever seen. It's too big of an emotional and financial investment to justify going to the tourney when the refs are guaranteed to fail at their job.