Ending her collegiate career as the program’s all-time leader in games started, minutes played, rebounds, and points scored, and still being drafted as the second-round pick. Elizabeth Kitley’s path to the WNBA wasn’t quite the fairytale she’d hoped for. Despite being projected as a first-round pick, a major injury threw a wrench into her plans. But all that she did and was for Virginia Tech will never be forgotten. Even though she hasn’t played a single game yet with A’ja Wilson & Co., her jersey is already up in the rafters that’s as big a deal as any. 

It just goes to show that the impact she made on the Hokies’ program is undeniable, and now the Las Vegas Aces are going to reap the rewards. Kitley brought a whole new era of basketball to Virginia Tech. With record-breaking ACC wins and sellout crowds at Cassell Coliseum, she’s already etched her name in Hokie history.

It was no surprise when the program announced they would retire her jersey. And on Sunday during halftime of their game against Louisville, that moment finally arrived. Her iconic No. 33 jersey now hangs proudly in the rafters. “Something so permanent is so, so special,” Kitley said of the honor. 

“To feel like I had that much of an impact on the community and the program is very cool. I’m going to keep bringing people back here so I can show off a little bit,” she added with a laugh. However, as much as she is all smiles now, it’s been a tough year for the 23-year-old. 

The past season was marred by injury, as she tore her ACL during the Hokies’ regular-season finale against Virginia. With the injury sidelining her from NCAA Tournament action, Kitley entered the WNBA Draft with uncertainty. Still, the Las Vegas Aces saw her potential and picked her up in the second round as the 24th overall pick. 

Sadly, Kitley hasn’t played a single game yet due to her knee injury, but that doesn’t mean her new Aces teammates are any less excited about her future with the team.

A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Megan Gustafson, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum all took to social media to congratulate Kitley. Wilson was particularly expressive, posting three stories in Kitley’s honor. In the first one, she wrote, “Baby Kit 🤍🤍,” followed by a re-shared post from ACC Network that showed Kitley’s jersey in the rafters. In the third, Wilson added, “Remembering watching you at VT and saying ‘damn, she’s kinda got a nice fade.’ To now being my teammate, I’m so lucky!! Congrats on 33 in the rafters, Kit!”

Chelsea Gray kept it simple, re-sharing the video and writing, “So dope!!” Megan Gustafson’s reaction was emotional, posting, “Now I’m sobbing 😭 Congrats!!” Jackie Young just shared the Hokies’ post with a picture of Kitley and her jersey number with the text “The Queen” written over it. And, Kelsey Plum extended her congratulations with a re-share of the post, adding her own well-wishes.

And not to forget another Aces star had her own historic jersey retirement moment.

A’ja Wilson’s teammate’s historic jersey retirement

It was a long time coming, but Kelsey Plum’s jersey retirement at the University of Washington was a big moment for both her and the program. After eight years, Washington finally honored its all-time great by sending her No. 10 jersey into the rafters. 

The ceremony took place during halftime of the Huskies’ game against Purdue. Plum was all smiles as she reminisced about her time at Washington, saying, “It just brings back so many memories. Life happens so fast. It feels like two weeks ago, I was a senior here.” 

And she wasn’t just talking about the good times. The 2017 NCAA Player of the Year left a legacy that is hard to match. During her four years at Washington, she set numerous records, including a single-season scoring record as a freshman and a career points record of 3,527 — a mark that stood as the NCAA record until Caitlin Clark broke it last season.

Eventually, she was selected No. 1 overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces), and since then, she’s become a two-time WNBA champion and an Olympic gold medalist. It’s no surprise that the Aces, who know exactly what it’s like to win with her, couldn’t have been prouder to see her honored. 

During the timeout, Washington played video messages from her Las Vegas teammates. All in all, the jersey retirements of both Kitley and Plum highlight the unity that runs through the Aces. This is part of what has made the Aces a strong team. Now, let’s see what this team will accomplish next as Kit joins the squad!