Virginia Tech women’s basketball garnered a commitment from international product Francesca Baldassarre, who enters the program as a 5-foot-9 freshman.
The 5-foot-9 guard from Brindisi, Italy, will presumably have a full four years of eligibility.
The 18-year-old spent two seasons with Afora Givova Battipaglia in Italy’s top league Serie A1. In her first season, she logged 2.2 points per game, including 3.0 points per game in a two-game stint in the Eurocup.
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This past season, Baldassarre averaged 8.9 points per game for Battipaglia, shooting 30.6% from the field (58-for-189) and 26.2% from 3-point range (27-for-103). She dished out 1.3 assists per game, though she ccommitted 2.7 turnovers per game.
Baldassarre had a solid stretch after three rough games to start the season. After an 0-for-5 game against Venezia, a 10-point, six-turnover (1-for-6 from long range) game against Broni and a 1-for-5, four-turnover game against San Martino, Baldassarre scored 13 points against San Giovanni, going 6-for-11 inside the arc. She went 0-for-8 outside the arc, however, and the team lost, 66-45.
Baldassarre flashed at points, logging double-digit points in eight straight games (San Giovanni on Oct. 26, 2025, to Scrivia on Jan. 24, 2026). Against Brescia on Dec. 3, she went 5-for-12 from three-point range and totaled eight rebounds, though she logged six turnovers in a 75-71 loss.
However, over the last eight games of the season, Baldassarre totaled double-digit points just once. In a three-game stretch from Feb. 15-28, she also went 0-for-13 from beyond the arc and 2-for-13 inside it. Her season ended with a six-point, five-rebound performance against Brescia where she went 0-for-3 inside the arc and 1-for-6 from 3-point range. Battipaglia lost 11 of its final 13 games.
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Baldassarre also has national team experience, having played in FIBA U20 and U18 Women’s EuroBasket in 2025. In the U20 division, she averaged 4.9 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in seven appearances, while totaling 11.9 points per game in the U18 division.
Baldassarre is the third freshman to commit to Virginia Tech and the first international player to commit to the Hokies this cycle. Last season, the Hokies rostered one international prospect: Slovenian guard/forward Spela Brecelj, who averaged 0.9 points per game in eight contests.
With Baldassarre’s commitment, Virginia Tech has 12 players on its 2026-27 roster, three below the maximum allowed number of 15. Here’s the full list, sorted by eligibility then jersey number:
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forward Alyssa Latham (Gr.)
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guard Carleigh Wenzel (r-Sr.)
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guard Samyha Suffren (r-Jr.)
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forward Amani Jenkins (So.)
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forward Aniya Trent (So.)
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guard/forward Lauren Hurst (So.)
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guard Kaleo Anderson (Fr.)
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forward Arianna Harris-Mott (Fr.)
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guard Francesca Baldassarre (Fr.)
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball Lands Italian Prospect Francesca Baldassarre.
