Freshman Gabby White deserves Cavalier fans’ full attention — in her first nine collegiate games, the 5-foot-10 combo guard has averaged 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds off the bench while shooting 47.5 percent from the field — a stat line rarely seen alongside a true freshman.
Despite being the lone freshman on a squad full of veterans and transfers, she has been key in helping to keep the Cavaliers afloat amidst a tough stretch.
“Gabby has been impressive,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said in the preseason. “She's just so physical, explosive. Usually when first-years come in, everybody's bigger, faster, stronger, but she doesn't stick out in that way.”
The reason for this may be that basketball is in White’s DNA. Her parents met while playing at Middle Tennessee State University, and her mother now coaches for the North Carolina women’s basketball team as an associate head coach. At Seaforth High School in Pittsboro, N.C., White averaged 18 points and nine rebounds in her senior season, finishing her high school career just shy of 2,000 points.
“My mom and dad have always been big basketball lovers,” White said on the Hoos on the Mic Podcast. “At a young age, since I was one year old, I’ve always had a basketball in my hand.”
Her contribution to the CP3 Flames on the AAU circuit earned her numerous accolades, including recognition as a 2025 McDonald's All-American Nominee, a four-star prospect and the No. 94 ranking in the ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100 recruiting rankings.
With a stellar pedigree, White came to Virginia prepared to make her presence felt — and to that end, she has succeeded. Her quick handles and push-the-pace style have already enlivened Virginia’s fast-break game, turning defensive stops into instant offensive opportunities.
“It’s just a dream come true,” White said. “I've always wanted to play on the collegiate level, and getting to play on a program like this is just anything that I could ever ask for.”
Her ability to run the point has also opened up cleaner looks for junior All-ACC guard Kymora Johnson, especially from behind the arc. Johnson immediately benefited from the added space and accelerated rhythm in the second game of the season against Bucknell. With White leading the point for nearly all of her 18 minutes played, Johnson capitalized, pouring on 23 points on 14 attempts and four three-point shots.
White’s quick assimilation into the system was also on full display in Virginia’s resounding win in its first road game against Northwestern State in the first round of the Emerald Coast Classic, where White’s on-ball defensive pressure recorded two steals and two blocks and contributed to 19 Northwestern State turnovers. Her playmaking, especially her ability to finish around the rim, led to a collegiate career-high of 13 points and six rebounds.
Even though the loss to UMBC cast a brief shadow over the team, White still had moments where she shone through. As the Cavaliers’ offense continued to dig a seemingly inescapable hole, White was unfazed. She gave Virginia a reason to believe through that adversity. Fighting for every deflection defensively and pushing the pace offensively, she embodied pure hustle.
One sequence, with two minutes left in the first half, captured White’s impact best — she snagged a rebound, took off in transition and dumped the open pass to sophomore forward Breona Hurd for an easy layup. The Cavaliers were desperate for a bucket, and White delivered.
“She’s not afraid to take a game-winning shot in a drill or scrimmage,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “She just has that drive to her.”
This energy was not limited to Virginia’s uphill battle against UMBC. Her mental toughness and consistent trust in her teammates have already been an X-factor for Virginia’s season. For most hoopers, college ball requires a major jump from high school play. But for White, the jump has felt less like a leap and more like a homecoming.
“She's a very physical guard,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “She’s really beyond her time, as far as her physicality and her speed, and just adjusting to the collegiate game.”
Sitting at 6-3 in the early stretch of the season, the Cavaliers’ schedule progresses into tough ACC matchups. White’s impact will be even more critical for the rest of the season. The fast-paced, guard-driven offense under Agugua-Hamilton undoubtedly drew her to the program — and with an entire collegiate career ahead of her, she has only scratched the surface of her potential at Virginia.
But for White, playing in a Virginia uniform speaks greater volumes than filling up the stat sheet and chasing individual recognition. She chose the Cavaliers for the community — a place where she can grow, compete and play a role on a team she considers family.
“I just wanted a home away from home,” White said. “Knowing that I have people that want to see me succeed and want to see me happy was a big part [of coming to Virginia].”
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