Jayla Everett dismissed from Pitt women’s basketball, program announces

Pitt women’s basketball will be without its leading scorer from the past two seasons as the Panthers wrap up their regular season, as head coach Lance White announced Sunday that the program dismissed senior guard Jayla Everett.

White did not give any reason in the announcement as to why the senior was relieved of her duties and Pitt Athletics spokesperson Louis Spina declined to comment further on the situation. White held Everett out of two games prior to the announcement.

Everett was averaging 13.6 points per game and 271 points on the season — leading the team in scoring — for the Panthers before her dismissal. Not only was Everett leading the team in scoring, but also in playing time, averaging 28.2 minutes per game.

The dismissal comes at an inopportune time for the Panthers, with just two regular-season games remaining before playing in the ACC tournament. White is prone to frequent substitutions, making filling Everett’s spot slightly less daunting. A candidate to see some more playing time is junior guard Destiny Strother, who has played in 27 games and started six.

While the timing of the dismissal may be at an inconvenient time for the Panthers, the open roster spot allows White to pursue new additions earlier than anticipated.

Pitt currently sits at 2-14 in conference play and has lost seven straight games. Already floundering at No. 14 in the ACC, White will need to find a way to adapt without his leading scorer going forward.

Pitt will play against Louisville at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Florida State at 2 p.m. on Sunday — both at home — to wrap up its conference schedule. The Panthers will then play in the postseason at the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament from March 2-6 in Greensboro, North Carolina.