2023-24 women's basketball preview: Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris aim to contend

The women’s basketball teams at Pitt, Duquesne and Robert Morris open their 2023-24 seasons this week looking to contend in the ACC, Atlantic 10 and Horizon League, respectively. All three have added talent from the transfer portal and welcome freshman recruits expected to contribute.

Here’s a look at the three local Division I women’s basketball teams:

Pitt

Coach: Tory Verdi, first season

2022-23 record: 10-20 (3-15 in ACC)

Returning starters: Liatu King, sr., F (9.4 ppg); Marley Washenitz, so., PG (3.3 ppg)

Top newcomers: Jala Jordan, grad-sr., F (Seton Hall); Bella Perkins, jr., G (USC); Rapuluchl Ayodele, jr., F (Eastern Florida State); Jasmine Timmerson, fr., G (North Allegheny); Aaryn Battle, fr., G; Lauren Rust, fr., F

Notable: Verdi takes over for Lance White, who was not retained after going 42-99 over five seasons. Verdi was 126-85 in seven seasons at UMass, including an A10 championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022. He also coached at Eastern Michigan, where his time overlapped with Pitt AD Heather Lyke when she was that school’s athletic director. … King and Washenitz are team captains the team’s lone returning starters. … King is a two-year starter at forward who averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season. She also ranked fourth in the ACC in blocks (1.4) and rebounding. … Washenitz started 16 games last season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.5 assists. … Senior forward Gabby Hutcherson was a 3-point threat for the Panthers last season, knocking down 23 shots from behind the arc and averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds off the bench. … Sophomore Aislin Malcolm (Chartiers Valley) made 23 appearances as a freshman and shot 41.2% from 3-point range to lead all ACC freshmen. … Transfers Raeven Boswell (Georgia Tech) and Ioanna Chatzlleontl (Kansas) are not expected to play this season because of NCAA transfer rules. … Timmerson won three WPIAL championships and one state title at North Allegheny, where she was a four-year starter at point guard. She scored 1,274 points and was a two-time first-team all-state selection. She averaged 16.4 points as a senior. … At the ACC Tipoff Days, Verdi and his captains said the Panthers will run an up-tempo style, and the program will be built on toughness, discipline and a buy-in from each player on the roster. … Pitt was picked to finish last in the ACC by media members at ACC Tipoff Days. No. 8 Virginia Tech is the preseason favorite.

Quotable: “Being different, that’s what I wanted. Now I have the opportunity to do that. So I’m excited about this opportunity. I’m excited to really grow this program and truly move it and get it to where we need to be in order to have success.” — Coach Tory Verdi on why he came to Pitt

Tip-off: Pitt opens the season at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home against Yale.

Duquesne

Coach: Dan Burt, 11th season (187-117)

2022-23 record: 19-12 (8-8 in Atlantic 10)

Returning starters: Megan McConnell, jr., PG (11.2 ppg); Tess Myers, jr., G (11.7 ppg); Lauren Wasylson, r-sr., G (3.8 ppg); Amaya Hamilton, sr., F (10.6 ppg); Ayanna Townsend, sr., C (10.4 ppg)

Top newcomers: Kaitlyn Ammons, r-so., F; Kiandra Browne, jr., G/F; Raymi Coueta, fr., G; Gabby Grantham-Medley, fr., G; Jerni Kiaku, so., G

Notable: Duquesne was picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll by media members. Rhode Island is the preseason favorite. … The Dukes return all five starters from a team that had a .500 record in A-10 play. They had the most home wins in program history, finishing 14-3 at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. … McConnell (5-foot-7), a Chartiers Valley grad, was named to the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 first team and Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team. She averaged 11.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists and started all 31 of the Dukes’ games last year, earning second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors. She also ranked fourth in the conference in steals (2.26 per game). She is one of 25 players on the Becky Hammond Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist. … Myers, a Lower Burrell native and North Catholic grad, is one of the program’s all-time leading 3-point shooters. She hit 90 3s for the second straight season in 2022-23. … Hamilton was a consistent producer with 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and started every game. … Wasylson, a Mars grad who transferred after three seasons at Xavier, averaged 3.8 points and had 61 rebounds last season for the Dukes. … Townsend, a Winchester Thurston grad, also transferred from Xavier. She averaged 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds and made 17 starts. … In addition to the five returning starters, senior forward Precious Johnson is a veteran for the Dukes. … Duquesne will play Pitt in the City Game at 2 p.m. Nov. 18 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

Quotable: “I definitely feel blessed (to be recognized). I’m not really worried about any of those awards. I just want to help lead my team to an A-10 championship.” — Megan McConnell to LegacyMaker Sports Network at A10 Media Day

Tip-off: Duquesne opens the season at 7 p.m. Monday at Princeton.

Robert Morris

Coach: Charlie Buscaglia, eighth season (96-50)

2022-23 record: 11-19 (5-15 in Horizon League)

Returning starters: Simone Morris, jr. G (7.7 ppg); Rebecca Dwomoh, jr., G (7.1 ppg); Alejandra Mastral, jr., G (7.0 ppg)

Top newcomers: Naomi Barnwell, jr., G; Camila Bozan, fr., C; Tuana Coskun, fr., SF; Hattie McGraw, fr., G; Eden Monka, fr., G/F; Madison O’Dell, fr., G; Micah O’Dell, fr., G; Stephanie Theodossakos, jr., G

Notable: Robert Morris was picked to finish last in the Horizon League in a preseason poll after finishing 5-15 in conference play last season and falling in the first round of the Horizon League tournament. They were 10th in the 11-team league a year ago. … Morris started all 30 games last season, averaging 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds. … Dwomoh was a 3-point threat for the Colonials who averaged 7.1 points and hit 34 3-pointers. … Mastral was seventh in the Horizon League in steals last season at 1.5 per game. … Junior center Danielle Vuletich (7.8 ppg) also returns, along with sophomores Louella Allana, Natalie Johnson and Paris Kirk. … Barnwell, a France native, joins RMU after averaging 10.5 points over two seasons at Monroe College. … Theodossakos spent the past two seasons at Tampa, which reached the NCAA Elite Eight last season. … Six freshmen joined the RMU roster in the offseason. Coskun, from Rabun Gap in Georgia, was a two-time all-state player who averaged 12.4 points in winning a second straight state title last year. Bozan is another international recruit, hailing from Santiago, Chile. Monka hails from Montreal, Quebec. … Sisters Madison and Micah O’Dell led their team to the Mississippi 6A quarterfinals. … McGraw hit 164 3-pointers during a decorated career at Knoch. … Graduate Mackenzie Amalia, a Blackhawk grad, will be missed after she capped her RMU career with 370 points, 125 assists, 61 steals and 85 three-pointers.

Quotable: “It’s always a big focus to set a schedule full of challenges. One of which is to compete against great competition, and if you look at the level of conferences we are matching up against, you will see we accomplished that. We match up against a Power 5 and a number of top mid-major conferences.” —Coach Charlie Buscaglia on the team’s nonconference schedule. Tip-off: Robert Morris starts the season at 7 p.m. Monday at St. Francis (Pa.).