Kincaid brings motherly influence to Panthers

By her nature, LaToya Kincaid is quiet and low-key, but on the basketball court she is a… By her nature, LaToya Kincaid is quiet and low-key, but on the basketball court she is a completely different person.

“I don’t have that much to say about things,” Kincaid said. “I just get down to the point.”

Despite her taciturn nature, playing on a team with Kincaid, 22, is almost like having a second mother. Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato describes Kincaid as her security blanket because of her willingness to take responsibility for the team. She is the type of player that is called upon when Berenato needs something to be done.

“She’s very quiet and reserved, but at the same time she is gentle, mothering and nurturing to the rest of her teammates,” Berenato said. “She’s definitely like the mom on the team, but she’s not as quiet and introverted as I once thought. You can always call her number.”

Kincaid, a 6-foot-1-inch senior forward, is the youngest of three children and one might think that it is odd for the baby of the family to be a natural caretaker. As the youngest child, Kincaid always had somebody watching over her, but she says that she had responsibilities around the house and attributes her sense of responsibility to the way she was raised.

Kincaid said that, growing up, she always had a maturity about her. It has carried over onto the basketball court. This season Kincaid has emerged as the team’s leading scorer as she averages 14.8 points to go along with her 7.4 rebounds per game.

“I’ve been like that [the leader] with other teams too. That’s just how I am,” Kincaid said. “I have always been the mature type with all the athletes that I have played with.

The Panthers hit a bump in the road after the Jan. 14 victory over Seton Hall, as Pitt has been on an 11 game losing streak ever since. Things came to a head after Pitt’s contest at Connecticut back on Feb. 17, and as a mother will do when things are not going right, Kincaid took a lot of responsibility for the Panthers’ 97-42 loss to UConn.

“[I admire] her willingness to take responsibility,” Berenato said. “[In] the UConn game we lost by a lot of points and she said she should have been able to do more.”

Kincaid contributed only six points – which tied her season low – and four rebounds. After the game she felt like she could have given a better effort.

“I could have done more, offensively and defensively,” Kincaid said. “I have to keep them in line and try to be there [for my teammates] when they need me.”

What is perhaps even more intriguing about the differences between Kincaid on and off the basketball court is that she comes from a small town the small southern of West Helena, Ark.

She describes West Helena as a town that has hardly any traffic and is not busy. Her family was always outside doing some type of activity because there was so much room. Moving to Pittsburgh was a bit of a transition for her, as she prefers a smaller, town setting.

“I like the south better. It [Pittsburgh] is busy compared to where I’m from,” Kincaid said. “[The South] is where I’m from and it’s not busy. It’s too many people here.”

Despite preferring a smaller environment, Kincaid was intrigued with testing out life in the city. So when Pitt recruited her, Kincaid saw it as an opportunity to play for a major conference and experience city life. Kincaid transferred from Pensacola Junior College in 2002 after two seasons with the team, and is only in her second year with Pitt.

“I had different options, but I wanted to come to the city and check it out to get a different view of things,” Kincaid said. “The city life [influenced my decision] and [Pitt] is in the Big East Conference. I wanted to play for a major conference.”

Other than adjusting to life in the city, Kincaid had to adjust to a new head coach because Traci Waites was fired after last season, which was Kincaid’s first with the Panthers. Berenato replaced Waites as the head coach of the Panthers last spring. Although the change came after only one season at Pitt, she said the adjustment was not a difficult one.

“It was easy to adjust because [coach Berenato] is a very open coach,” Kincaid said. “Things happen and I feel that you have to keep going and do your best with the one that comes in.”

As a high school student, Kincaid played volleyball and softball, along with basketball. She says she excelled in all three sports, but the fact that she has always loved basketball influenced her decision to continue playing on the collegiate level.

During her free time, Kincaid enjoys going to the movies and mall, along with singing and playing spades. Spades became her favorite card game because, growing up, she played with her family and friends. She enjoys a variety of music, but has never considered singing professionally.

Kincaid hopes to play basketball overseas next season and hopefully catch the eye of a WNBA team. She is a public administration major and hopes to own her own recreation center, along with helping others to become better people.

According to Kincaid, her mother, Deloris Holloway, deserves most of the credit for the woman that her daughter has become. Kincaid’s mom taught her to never give up and to go for the things that she wants in life. She credits her mom for giving her the inspiration to be able to succeed at Pitt.

“If it was not for my mom I would not be here today,” Kincaid said. “She has inspired me throughout my life.”

Kincaid will play in her final game at the Petersen Events Center tonight at 7 p.m. as the Panthers take on Villanova. She is appreciative of the time she has spent at Pitt and the people who she has interacted with.

“I want everybody to play together and focused,” Kincaid said. “I want my coaches and teammates to know how much I appreciate them. I want to thank them for being there for me.”