Continued on page 12 Georgia Amoore finally received the national attention she deserved in 2023. After dazzling the crowds at Cassell Coliseum with her devastating crossover and deep jumpers, the women’s basketball world took notice of the Australian point guard. Despite all of the flattering recognition, Amoore often reflects on the progress the program has made since arriving on campus in 2020. “I think the steady but rapid progression of the program stands out to me the most,” Amoore said, who originally came to Tech after meeting Kenny Brooks at a tournament in Belarus. “I think it’s just a credit to a lot of the core group of girls for sticking with Coach Brooks in his vision. No matter the good or bad things that happened, I think we just stuck with what he saw. And he instilled that in us, and we just believe it.” It’s amazing to think that the 2023 ACC Tournament MVP was only recruited by two schools: Virginia Tech and the University of Portland. After making the decision to come to Tech, Amoore enrolled in school early in January 2020. She got a first hand introduction to the program led by Coach Brooks, traveling with the team on away trips in the heat of the challenging ACC season. Long before Amoore could lead the Hokies to an ACC title and Final Four appearance, the guard went through the cultural hurdles of moving halfway around the world from Ballarat, Australia to Blacksburg, Virginia. “I’m moving to rural Virginia, and I lived in an area where it was a little rural, but near Melbourne, so it was still like one of Australia’s largest cities, there was still so much happening,” Amoore said. “Then I come to the other side of the world, and it’s just like a campus in the middle of the countryside,” Amoore recalled. “On the court, I was still getting used to American rules. The way that we play at home is FIBA rules. So everything from the shot clock, to fouls, to backcourt violations, it’s all different.” The breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic added another wrench in the already challenging adjustment process for her upcoming freshman season, but Amoore persisted. She started 23 of 25 games for Tech in her first year, averaging 11.8 points per game and shot from beyond the arc at nearly a 40% clip. That success was just the beginning and the next year, the sophomore guard helped elevate the Hokies to the ACC Tournament semifinal for the first time in program history and the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. After an early exit in the 2022 NCAA Tournament at the hands of Florida Gulf Coast, Amoore knew the 2022-2023 season would be different. A huge reason for the difference — she was finally able to return home to Australia. COVID restrictions had prevented her from visiting her family home for the first time since she enrolled early in January 2020. “I think going home was a huge refresher for me. I hadn’t been home for two and a half years, so that was something that was constantly on my mind,” Amoore recalled. “Once I went home and came back, I just started working out with Coach Brooks. I think my mindset changed.” Fresh off of that homecoming trip, Amoore’s determination was also amplified. She knew her junior year meant she needed to step up even more to fulfill the scoring role Aisha Sheppard left, and she also acknowledged that she needed to progress her game to fulfill the high expectations placed on her team. A huge key to their success for the upcoming season would inevitably rely on the chemistry she has with her teammate, friend, and reigning ACC Player of the Year, Elizabeth Kitley. That chemistry was stronger than ever in Amoore’s junior year. “I think I just understand her. She’s a fierce competitor,” Amoore said of Kitley, who is also her roommate and Queens of Cassell podcast co-host. “She’s honest, and I think people might struggle with her personality sometimes because she just wants to get to the point. I obviously know now that she doesn’t mean any harm. She just really wants to win.” Amoore shares that competitive personality that she admits can be intimidating to people that don’t know her well. “I think I am (intimidating),” she laughed. “I think a large part of that is my Australian-ism. I’ve been told in the locker room ’Oh, you said this the other day, and it sounded a bit mean, but I think it’s because you’re Australian’. That honestly might help with the relationship with Liz on the court, because I think we’re just both passionate about basketball, and very, very passionate about Coach Brooks and what he needs us to do.” The Hokies channeled that competitive spirit to start the season. The Hokies blazed through the non-conference schedule and ACC opener, jumping out to a 10-0 start to the season. Amoore recorded the program’s first ever triple-double in Tech’s 85-54 thrashing of Nebraska at Cassell Coliseum, in front of what was then the largest student attendance in the history of the program. Then, the heat of the ACC season crashed in on the Hokies. On January 8th, Tech sat at 3-3 in the conference after a disappointing 7766 road loss to the Hurricanes. A breaking point in their year, the Hokies rattled off three more wins in a row before being halted by Duke in Spotlight ASCENDING into the inside.hokiesports.com 11 GEORGIA AMOORE’S DETERMINATION AND TALENT ON DISPLAY By Bailey Angle
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk2NjE5