The WNBA鈥檚 Las Vegas Aces waived former Virginia Tech star Elizabeth Kitley on Monday.
The release of Kitley was one of several moves the Aces made Monday. The team traded a 2027 first-round draft pick to the Dallas Wings for 6-foot-4 forward NaLyssa Smith. In the wake of adding Smith, the Aces waived Kitley and guard Tiffany Mitchell.
The Aces, who won back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023, are off to a disappointing 8-8 start this year.
Kitley averaged 1.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 8.2 minutes in 12 games for the Aces this season. The rookie center started one game.
Kitley, who is the Hokies鈥 career scoring leader, suffered a torn ACL while playing for Tech against Virginia on March 3, 2024. The Aces chose the three-time ACC player of the year with the final pick of the second round of the 2024 draft. Kitley moved to Las Vegas after the 2024 draft so she could undergo rehab at the Aces鈥 facility under the supervision of the Aces鈥 trainers. She attended Aces practices and home games last season.
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Aces coach Becky Hammon had been optimistic about Kitley鈥檚 future during a preseason video conference in May.
鈥淪he鈥檚 still working her way back from a major injury,鈥 Hammon said on the May video conference. 鈥淪he鈥檚 getting 鈥 her legs underneath her. 鈥 The last game she played in, she was a college senior over a year ago. So we are in no rush with her. However, we do want to move her along in a good way.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to just see continued growth. Having gone through an ACL, you really don鈥檛 feel (like) yourself till probably 14-15 months post-operation. So by July and August I鈥檓 thinking she鈥檚 going to look pretty darn good out there.
鈥淪he鈥檚 going to be pretty damn good come July. But there鈥檚 a process to coming back.鈥
The Aces鈥 decision to waive Kitley comes just one week before she was due to return to the commonwealth. The Aces will take on the Washington Mystics on July 10 in Fairfax.
The Aces have turned to Smith in hopes of boosting their frontcourt. Smith helped Baylor win the 2019 NCAA title. She was the No. 2 overall pick by Indiana in the 2022 draft and made the WNBA all-rookie first team that year. Indiana traded her to Dallas last winter. She was averaging career lows in points, rebounds and minutes for the Wings.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Virginia Tech adds transfer
Former Xavier starting pitcher Ben Weber announced last weekend on Twitter that he has committed to Virginia Tech.
Weber, who entered the transfer portal last week, is following former Xavier pitching coach Doug Willey to Blacksburg. Virginia Tech announced the hiring of Willey as pitching coach last Friday. Willey was on the Xavier staff the past three seasons.
Weber made the All-Big East second team as a junior this year. The right-hander was 6-3 with a 4.15 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 26 walks in 84 2/3 innings.
The Minnesota native spent his first two college seasons at Air Force. He went 5-4 with a 6.49 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 22 walks in 68 innings as a sophomore.
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Garcia chosen for Futures Game
Former Salem Red Sox outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia was one of 50 players selected to play in the annual All-Star Futures Game.
The seven-inning showcase for promising minor-league prospects will be held at 4 p.m. on July 12 at Truist Park in Atlanta during All-Star weekend. The game will be broadcast on MLB Network with former Salem Red Sox play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman on the call.
Garcia is the only player from Boston鈥檚 farm system to be selected for the game.
He spent the 2023 season and the first part of the 2024 campaign in Salem. He batted .237 with nine homers, 43 RBIs and 23 stolen bases over 97 games with Salem.
Garcia began this season with Double-A Portland and now plays for Triple-A Worcester. He entered the season ranked as Boston鈥檚 No. 8 prospect, according to Baseball America.
