WritingHERstory: Nelson's rise from redshirt to rockstar

Redshirt freshman Mackenzie Nelson's game speaks for itself. A point guard, she's dangerous in transition and creates quality shots for her teammates. She's all over the court, pressuring on defense and whipping pinpoint passes to her teammates.

And the crowd? They eat it up, erupting into cheers when Nelson makes a hustle play.

Mackie-Mania 😈@mac_nelson3 scored a Career-high 12 points vs Elon!#Hokies #ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/hrVYUJ9J4q

— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) November 25, 2024

Before arriving at Virginia Tech, the Connecticut native had already etched her name into the record books as one of the top high school players in her state. Leading her team as captain, she guided her squad to the NEPSAC championship game, where she exploded for an impressive 45-point performance, and later earned the prestigious honor of being named the Gatorade Player of the Year – not just once, but twice.

Nelson and her future Hokie teammate Carys Baker actually faced off as rivals during their high school and AAU days, bonding over their shared experiences as elite players from the same state.

"Carys jokes around a lot because she was the best player on her team, so I would always try and get her in foul trouble by taking charges," laughed Nelson. "Now I'm just glad I'm taking charges against other people rather than her. We were from two of the top high school teams in the state, so our matchups were always a lot of fun."

Going through recruitment, Nelson instantly felt drawn to Virginia Tech's close-knit community, passionate fanbase and beautiful campus. The legendary Final Four run of 2023 hadn't even happened when Nelson decided to commit. All along, she knew there was something special happening with women's basketball in Blacksburg.

The momentum only continued to build. Nelson's freshman campaign was full of memorable moments and big wins. She chose to redshirt, knowing that her playing time could be limited due to the skill of former teammate and point guard Georgia Amoore.

Naturally, one of Nelson's freshman season highlights was the electric atmosphere in Cassell Coliseum surrounding her teammate's game-winning shot against NC State. The visit from College GameDay was another unforgettable experience – bringing its flagship pregame women’s basketball show to Blacksburg for the first time.

The excitement around the program has grown exponentially over the past few years, with the 2023-24 season seeing a record-breaking seven sellouts in Cassell Coliseum. Tech's culture around women's basketball, Nelson noted, is the reason she fell in love with the school and stayed through the coaching change.

For her, having the opportunity to play under head coach Megan Duffy since her arrival to campus in April has been an empowering experience. As a former point guard herself, Coach Duffy can understand the physical and mental demands that Nelson faces – and knows how to build her up.

"I've never had a coach with the same level of energy and passion as Coach Duffy," Nelson said. "She doesn't just want it more than the players – she infuses that intensity into us. She'll be yelling and screaming, but it's not because we're making mistakes. She's pushing us to play with more pressure and effort because she knows what we're capable of."

With a mix of returners and freshmen, varied basketball experiences and cultural backgrounds, this year's roster is building unity and success through the power of their differences. The core group of seniors and underclassmen just fit together, and their potential of putting a winning effort on the court is excellent. Team chemistry runs strong, Nelson emphasizes, as her teammates have turned into best friends.

On the Fourth of July, the team bonded through a hike to a waterfall dressed in red, white and blue. There've been plenty of fun visits to Coach Duffy's house, as well.

"The first few weeks of the summer, we were kind of quiet, and then all of a sudden it was loud in the locker room," Nelson said. "We can't stop talking, joking, going out to lunch, breakfast, dinner and bringing the freshmen to target. So, we really just love being around each other, which I think makes us better on the court."

While some may have doubts around this year's team due to its relative youth, Nelson and her teammates are already proving them otherwise. The Hokies remain undefeated at Cassell to start the season, highlighted by an exciting 91-80 victory over previously unbeaten Rutgers. In Saturday’s home win against Elon, Nelson scored a career-high 12 points.

The challenge of winning as the underdog team only adds fuel to the fire.

"This year's team has a very different identity compared to last season,” Nelson explained. “We're bringing a lot more intensity and energy on the defensive end, as well as pushing the pace more offensively. That's going to be a key focus for us. Coach Duffy has emphasized that we're an 11-player team, and we all need to contribute in our own way. It's not going to be about one or two standout performers – we're going to chip away at it collectively, with everyone doing their part individually."

As a returner now coming off the bench, Nelson leads her teammates in the little things – the charges, the steals, the turns and executing on offense. She brings a contagious energy, contributing crowd-rousing passes. On the defensive end, Nelson and her teammate Samyha Suffren work in tandem to ramp up the pressure, forcing turnovers and generating steals.

Nelson knows that her team will face adversity in the weeks ahead, but she believes in their ability to bounce back and plans to always be there as a helping hand for her teammates.

Writing HERstory Campaign
Tech Athletics launched a multi-platform brand campaign celebrating the incredible achievements of its female student-athletes, both past and present, while inspiring the next generation of women who aspire to achieve their dreams through athletics. Tech will share stories of its past and current female student-athletes over the course of the calendar year. Ranging from podcast interviews to feature stories and more, the incredible moments and achievements by women over the years in Virginia Tech Athletics will be celebrated. To make an impact on female sports at Tech or to sign up for the monthly Writing HERstory newsletter.