​The offseason has swung back and forth for Megan Duffy and the Virginia Tech women’s basketball program. After a strong 23-10 season and an NCAA Tournament berth in Duffy’s second year at the helm, the Hokies faced significant turnover as the transfer market reshaped their roster. Two key departures via the portal created a notable void in the frontcourt. Carys Baker, who averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, entered the transfer portal, and Mackenzie Nelson, who contributed 8.0 points per game, followed suit. With both players choosing to stay in the Atlantic Coast Conference—Baker ending up at Louisville and Nelson landing at Clemson—the Hokies watched two starters depart within conference play, intensifying the challenge of reloading the roster.
Despite the early setbacks, Duffy has shown strong results in the transfer market, bringing in a pair of interior options from Tennessee—Lauren Hurst and Alyssa Latham—along with other contributors to bolster depth and versatility. The Hokies continued to fortify their frontcourt presence on Tuesday when 6-foot-4 center Jessica Dimaro officially joined the program. Dimaro’s journey to Blacksburg is a global one: she most recently played in Japan for the Toyota Boshoku Sunshine Rabbits in the W League, where she earned the league’s Rookie of the Year honor for the 2024-25 season. In 2024-25, she averaged 12 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, underscoring her potential as a reliable inside presence for Virginia Tech.
Dimaro hails from Yenagoa, in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, adding an international flavor to the Hokies’ roster. Her arrival echoes the path taken by last season’s ACC Women’s Rookie of the Year, Uche Izoje of Syracuse, who similarly navigated from Nigeria to Japan before moving to the United States to compete at the collegiate level. Dimaro’s blend of size, rebounding, and developing offensive skills positions her as a potentially pivotal addition to Virginia Tech’s frontcourt rotation.
If Dimaro can replicate or approach the productive numbers she posted in Japan, she could quickly become a valuable contributor for the Hokies. There is a clear opportunity for immediate playing time in Blacksburg, as Dimaro is listed as the only center on next season’s roster, suggesting she will be a central figure in the Hokies’ interior lineup from the outset. Her signing broadens Virginia Tech’s options inside, complementing the guard and wing depth Duffy has assembled through the portal and returning players.
For Tech fans, the key narrative of the offseason centers on resilience and strategic reinforcements. After losing two starters to the portal, Duffy’s ability to attract a high-upside center like Dimaro demonstrates Virginia Tech’s commitment to maintaining competitiveness in the ACC. The combination of Dimaro’s recent success in the W League, her international experience, and the Hokies’ expanded frontcourt depth could translate into meaningful contributions on the court during the upcoming season. With Dimaro joining a roster that already features Hurst, Latham, and other returning players, Virginia Tech appears poised to navigate the post-transfer landscape and contend for continued success in ACC play.