Virginia Techs Ashley Owusu enters transfer portal, per reports: What went wrong with the Hokies?
Virginia Tech guard Ashley Owusu has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports. Here’s what you need to know:
- This was Owusu’s first season with the Hokies after transferring from Maryland.
- Owusu averaged 5.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game on 39.2 percent shooting from the floor in 2022-23.
- Virginia Tech reached the Women’s Final Four for the first time in program history before losing to eventual national champion LSU.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What went wrong for Owusu?
Owusu was one of the highest-profile transfers of the 2022 offseason, a former third-team All-American and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner as the best shooting guard in the country in 2021. Her move to Virginia Tech was supposed to put the Hokies over the top, giving them another dynamic perimeter creator with postseason experience. Instead, Owusu broke her pinkie finger on Dec. 1, had surgery and didn’t return until Jan. 19.
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Her reintegration into the Hokies lineup was not smooth at all, as Georgia Amoore had taken off as the unquestioned lead guard in Owusu’s absence. Coach Kenny Brooks slowly phased her out of the rotation as Virginia Tech continued to win without Owusu’s contributions. Owusu played her last minutes on Feb. 26, sitting on the bench during the ACC and NCAA Tournaments after failing to score during the entire month of February. — Merchant
How can Owusu contribute in a new situation?
A new program will have to decide how much of Owusu’s struggles were due to the locker-room dynamics and how much was a result of her inability to stay in shape while recovering from hand surgery. Despite averaging 10.4 points and shooting 60 percent from 3-point range before the injury, she did not look anywhere close to her Maryland self when she returned to the lineup, totaling 13 points over 10 games before being shut down for the season.
Things got a little uncomfortable by the end of the year, with Owusu’s Virginia Tech teammates openly calling her out on Twitter after the Final Four loss to LSU, and Owusu’s father complaining about favoritism from Brooks. Ideally, a fresh start will benefit Owusu in the same way it did her former Terrapin teammate Angel Reese, but her poor play over two months has lowered her stock significantly from where she was last season. — Merchant
Backstory
Owusu appeared in just 17 games for the Hokies this season. She did not take the floor during Virginia Tech’s run to the Women’s Final Four.
Owusu began her collegiate career at Maryland. She played for the Terrapins from 2019 to 2022. In 2021, Owusu was a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten. She averaged 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game on 49.3 percent shooting from the field.
Required reading
(Photo of Owusu (No. 15): Greg Atkins / CSM)
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