2015-16 Women's Basketball Season Preview
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
McConnell-Serio Press Conference (Oct. 2) | Complete Schedule (PDF)
PITTSBURGH - Coming off a season in which the Panthers reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the University of Pittsburgh women's basketball team will rely on its youth to get back to the Big Dance this season.
Despite being one of the youngest teams in the nation (zero seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, five freshmen), the Panthers return three starters from last year's team and have added a host of talent which includes six new faces.
Hall of Fame Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio enters her third year at Pitt and guided the Panthers to a 20-12 overall record last season and a seventh place finish in the ACC at 9-7. That seventh place finish came on the heels of being picked last in the ACC preseason polls.
McConnell-Serio is 154-100 overall as a collegiate head coach (.606) and was named a semifinalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year last season. She was won at least 20 games in six of the eight years she has been a collegiate head coach.
The Panthers will have to replace the production of First Team All-ACC performer Brianna Kiesel, who averaged 18.4 points and 4.5 assists per game last season as a senior. Kiesel ended her career ranking fifth in both points (1,938) and assists (433) at Pitt.
Also gone from last year's tournament team are graduated front court players Monica Wignot (10.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Cora McManus (3.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg).
Looking to fill that production will be Pitt's three most experienced players in sophomores Aysia Bugg, Stasha Carey and Yacine Diop.
As freshmen, this trio was instrumental in helping the Panthers achieve the success they did. Carey and Diop started all 32 games, while Bugg started 29 of the 32 contests.
Carey led the Panthers in rebounding at 7.7 per game, which ranked her 10th in the ACC, and also contributed 9.2 points per game. Season highlights for the Cleveland native included:
- Team-high seven double-doubles
- Game-high 16 points and 13 rebounds in her first-ever NCAA Tournament game (vs. Chattanooga)
- 17 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, four steals and three assists vs. Virginia
- Career-high 19 points vs. Delaware State
Diop introduced herself to the league as a rookie displaying athleticism and versatility. Diop averaged 9.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, while 86 of her 230 total rebounds came on the offensive glass (2.7/game). Freshman highlights included:
- Pitt's first-ever ACC Freshman of the Week recipient (Dec. 7).
- Five double-doubles
- 18 points and nine rebounds at #6/5 Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament Second Round
- Career-high 22 points vs. Duquesne
After playing alongside Kiesel for one season, the offense will now run through Bugg as the team's primary point guard. Bugg's freshman highlights include:
- Second on the team with 75 assists
- Averaged 6.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game
- Career-high 16 points vs. Delaware State
- Career-best seven assists at Wake Forest
- Six games in double-figure scoring
The only other returning letterwinner from last year is junior sharp-shooter Fred Potvin. The Montreal native made 52 3-pointers last season which was the second most on the team, only behind Kiesel.
After missing the entire 2014-15 season with a shoulder injury, redshirt junior Brittany Gordon is back healthy to provide depth at guard.
For the second straight season, McConnell-Serio has signed a top recruiting class. Ranked 31st by espnW HoopGurlz and 22nd by Prospectsnation.com, this talented group of freshmen will be asked to play a significant role just as last year's freshmen were.
The crop of this year's freshmen include: Tania Lamb (Los Angeles, Calif./Long Beach Poly), Kauai Bradley (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic), Cassidy Walsh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle), Kalista Walters (Fleetwood, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and Brenna Wise (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy).
Rounding out the roster is graduate transfer Destinie Gibbs. The Athens, Ga. native spent her last three years at Southern California and graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism. She has two years of eligibility remaining for the Panthers.
Despite having one year of eligibility remaining, it has been recommended by doctors that Bubbles Anderson does not return to action after her second ACL tear.
Pitt will host the top-five teams from last year's ACC standings at the Petersen Events Center, including Notre Dame (1/3), Florida State (1/17), Duke (1/28), Louisville (2/11) and Syracuse (2/21).
Non-conference highlights include a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands (where they will play Maryland who has made back-to-back Final Four appearances), a game at Michigan for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, an away game at Princeton and a home game against inner-city rival Duquesne.
The Panthers are in action this coming Sunday, November 8, when Pitt hosts IUP in its one and only exhibition game of the season. The regular season opener is slated for November 13 vs. Wagner at the Petersen Events Center with tip set for 11 a.m. on School Day.
