Pitt exceeds regular season expectations, but not postseason ones // Conor Hutchison, Assistant Sports Editor
Before last season, Pitt was predicted to finish last in the ACC preseason poll. But the Panthers found relative success. In head coach Tory Verdi’s second season, the Panthers won 13 games, the most since the 2016-17 season, including five in-conference games — the most since the 2014-15 season. This season, Pitt is predicted to finish third-to-last in that same preseason poll.
Two of Pitt’s four returning players — redshirt sophomore forward Lauren Rust and redshirt junior guard Amiya Jenkins — only appeared in three games last season due to season-ending injuries. Sophomore guard Audrey Biggs played double-digit minutes off the bench and redshirt junior guard Mikayla Johnson was one of two double-digit scorers for the Panthers last season.
The little returning production is hard to overcome. But in the transfer portal era, the Panthers may have stumbled upon a gem in senior guard Angel Jones, who scored a game-high 23 points with only two missed shots in a preseason exhibition over Division II Lock Haven.
Pitt’s last win in the ACC Tournament was a two-point victory in the first round over Notre Dame in 2019-20. I don’t think that streak will end this season, but I do predict the Panthers will win more than five games against ACC opponents and enter the ACC Tournament with a higher seeding — another year of improvement under Verdi’s leadership.
Angel Jones is Pitt’s backbone this season // Kaitlyn Griffin, Staff Writer
With the transfer of senior guard Marley Washenitz to Arizona State, a big hole was left in Pitt women’s basketball’s lineup. Washenitz averaged close to 30 minutes and 10 points per game for the Panthers last season, and her absence will certainly be felt this upcoming winter.
Washenitz’s departure left a hole for senior guard Angel Jones, a transfer from Coppin State, to solidify herself as the backbone for the Panthers this season. Jones started in all 34 games for Coppin State last season, averaged 15.2 points per game and was first team all-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Jones made her mark in the Panthers’ recent blowout preseason win against Lock Haven last Thursday. The guard scored 23 points and went 11-of-13 shooting, along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Panthers have a solid group of returning players, including junior guard Mikayla Johnson and sophomore guard Audrey Biggs, who saw significant minutes as a first-year last season. They’ve also acquired top talent in five-star recruit guard Nylah Wilson and four-star guard Theresa Hagans Jr.
As the only true senior on the team, Jones provides the direction and experience from her time at Coppin State that this young Panthers team needs.
Panthers’ head coach Tory Verdi commented on Jones in an interview, saying, “She’s dynamic … we expect her to be at the forefront for us a lot this year.”
First-years lead Pitt to the NIT // Matthew Scabilloni, Sports Editor
Stars matter — don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Luckily for Pitt women’s basketball, they have two first-year players with high recruiting rankings to help the Panthers emerge from this purgatory the program has been in for the past decade.
Five-star guard Nylah Wilson and four-star guard Theresa Hagans will bring the Panthers to their first NIT or NCAA Tournament appearance for Pitt since 2015. Why? Because stars matter, and their talent will transfer to the collegiate level. It also helps that they have senior guard Angel Jones, who will help show them the ropes and get these two first-years acclimated to the collegiate level.
But the biggest issue is the front court for this team — they have no exceptional player there, and for the past two seasons under head coach Tory Verdi, the front court has been a strong spot for his team with Liatu King in 2023-2024 and Khadija Faye in 2024-2025. For the Panthers, hopefully someone breaks out like Faye did last season, or they could have some serious problems in the front court.
The lack of talent in the front court will slow this team down, but the talent in the back court will lead this team to its first NIT appearance since 2010. Pitt finishes with a 17-14 record and 7-11 record in the ACC.
Pitt Exceeds Expectations as Nylah Wilson wins ACC Rookie of the Year // James Carter, Staff Writer
When I say Pitt exceeds expectations, it is still fairly light. This is still a young team and is still in the midst of finding its footing. As the team grows and Verdi is hopefully able to keep the core together, they have the potential to turn the program into a force in the conference. Games like the SMU comeback indicate a vibe shift within the team locker room and offices, which leads to good things to come.
But while the aura around the team has improved, the roster is still too young to compete with a loaded ACC basketball lineup. However, first-year guard Nylah Wilson has the potential to change the outlook of this program going forward. The kind of talent that Wilson has is rare for a program like Pitt and could spearhead a turnaround for the Panthers.
While there is a lot of young talent in the ACC, Wilson will receive a lot of minutes and has the potential to make some noise in the ACC Rookie of the Year race, and I expect her to become a focal point of the team fairly early into the season. While she could struggle early on as she finds her footing in college ball, once the team’s ACC schedule hits, look out for her to go on a tear.
While it likely won’t move the needle for Pitt, her season could become a beacon for recruits and transfers in the offseason, as Tory Verdi aims to rebuild Pitt’s women’s hoops.