Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Since taking the floor at Cassell Coliseum in the inaugural 1976-77 season, Virginia Tech women’s basketball has experienced an unprecedented level of success both on and off the court. The program, which has enjoyed over 800 wins and a staggering 21 postseason appearances, continues to dazzle Hokie fans of all ages while inspiring the next generation of passionate women’s basketball players.
With the team’s 78-56 win over Boston College on Jan. 11, Tech women’s basketball notched its 500th all-time win in the revered halls of Cassell Coliseum, reaching the milestone behind Carys Baker’s team-high 17 points in the victory.The game, which was the sixth conference matchup of the season, puts the Hokies at 13-5 as play heats up in the new year.
Reaching 500 wins in Cassell Coliseum is an accomplishment built on the shoulders of the hundreds of Hokies who have graced the team with their athleticism and talents over the past half-century. As the team continues to celebrate its 50th season in 2025-26, looking back on how the team’s most memorable moments – from unbelievable solo performances to record-setting wins – shows just how far the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team has come since the first season so many years ago.
Virginia Tech women’s basketball notches its first-ever win in Cassell Coliseum
To understand the magnitude of securing the program's 500th home win, it’s equally important to understand the first. While it took a handful of matchups for the first-ever team to establish themselves, the 1976-77 group would find their footing in a 49-48 win over Emory and Henry on Jan. 18, 1977. The win, which was the first home victory in program history, was earned by a 29-point first half and a defensive effort in the second. Kelly Bradley’s 14 points were a team-high in the contest, the game serving as her third of what would be six straight double-digit performances.
Julie Williams logs most efficient single-game performance in program history
The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team was only three games into the 1980-81 season when state foe William and Mary came to visit Cassell Coliseum on Nov. 29, 1980. In what resulted in a 65-63 win and the second of two home victories on the season, Julie Williams – who came off the bench after starting the previous three contests for the team – would drop a team-high 27 points in the victory. What was just as, if not more impressive than Williams’ high output was her efficiency: The second-year player would go 12/13 from the floor, earning a 92.3% field goal average on the game. Williams’ shooting performance for the ages was completed in just 28 minutes, making the record-breaking showcase that much more impressive.
Tech women’s basketball achieves postseason twice in just over a year
As the Hokies began to transform from conference presence to legitimate threat in the 1990s, the team also enjoyed a never-before seen level of dominance on the hardwood. In the 1993-94 season that saw the Hokies go 24-6 alongside an impressive 13-1 home record, the team hoisted the program’s first-ever conference championship, defeating Metro Conference adversary Southern Miss by a score of 83-76 on March 11, 1994. Christi Osborne – who led the 1993-94 team with 14.5 points per game – would post a team-high 19 in the contest.
After receiving an at-large tournament bid just over a year later in the 1994-95 season, the Hokies would also make history, securing the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win against St. Joseph’s. The 62-52 victory was largely in part from returning star Christi Osborne’s 18 points, which were a team high.
Women’s basketball team enters unprecedented status behind legendary coach
Nearing the turn of the 20th century, the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team continued to expand on the dominance that categorized the early 1990s. After an impressive 1997-98 season that saw the team reach a 22-10 record, the program reached new heights the year following behind a stunning 28-3 season and an undefeated 15-0 in Cassell Coliseum.
Bonnie Hendrickson, the head coach of the 1998-99 season and the architect of the team’s unbelievable run, would guide the Hokies to postseason triumphs as the season entered the playoffs. In the first-round matchup against St. Peter’s, a 73-48 victory on March 13, 1999, was achieved behind Cassell’s first-ever sellout as over 10,000 fans cheered on the women’s basketball team. Just 48 hours later, the Hokies would emerge victorious against Auburn in front of a sold-out crowd, placing Tech in the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
Brittany Cook lights up the scoreboard in conference play
The 2007-08 Tech women’s basketball team entered play against Miami on Feb. 11, 2008, searching for the first conference win of the season. The Hokies’ competition on gameday, however, was in a similar position: Miami was just 2-6 in conference play on the year.
Looking to bring the Hokies out of the conference slump they found themselves in, fourth-year guard Brittany Cook took matters into her own hands. In what resulted in an 81-73 overtime win against the Hurricanes, Cook scored a jaw-dropping 36 points in 44 minutes, doing so while shooting 15 of 22 from the floor. The guard’s program record-setting performance also featured nine rebounds.
Cook would go on to lead the ACC in scoring in the 2007-08 season, doing so with an impressive 17.9 points per game. For her on-court achievements during the season, the guard would be recognized as a Second Team All-ACC player.
Cassell Coliseum welcomes Elizabeth Kitley and Cayla King to Blacksburg
On Nov. 5, 2019, stardom walked through the doors and took to the hardwood of Cassell Coliseum. Elizabeth Kitley, a 6-foot-6 center from Summerfield, N.C., and Cayla King, a 6-foot guard from Greensboro, N.C., made their college debuts during the matchup against the Saint Francis Red Flash. There was plenty of buzz for both high school talents, and rightfully so: Kitley was a two-time high school champion, and King’s sharpshooting ability turned the heads of many.
Picking up right where they left off as teammates at Northwest Guilford High School, Kitley and King immediately made their presence known. The five-star center notched 27 points in her debut, while King would hit what would be the first of many shots from beyond the arc. A dominant 105-41 victory punctuated an already impressive day for the North Carolina natives.
