ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 24, 2023

Tory Verdi

Marley Washenitz

Liatu King

Pittsburgh Panthers

Women's Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Pitt, first-year head coach in the ACC, Tory Verdi. We also have Marley Washenitz, and then rounding out everything on the stage Liatu King.

Welcome.

TORY VERDI: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: What I will say is that when they made the announcement for you to be the new head coach at Pitt, I was like, Wow. A game changer for this university because I was able to see you win your first title, as well. Just seeing what that means to you, how you build programs, especially seven seasons at UMass, going on to do great things prior to, it's going to be really special. We're excited to see it in the ACC.

TORY VERDI: Thank you very much.

Q. You're returning just four players, two starters from last year's squad. What made this opportunity right for you to be another coach that could say, I want to change things going forward?

TORY VERDI: I just think it was an opportunity to do something that hasn't been done before in the ACC. It was the right time for me. We won championships at UMass; now it's the opportunity to go and coach against the best coaches in the country, and also take a team and play against other teams in the ACC that are some of the best teams in the country, as well.

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.

Q. Marley, you don't have much of a sample size with this group right now, but when you're looking at the way Coach's style and his philosophy, what stands out to you about what makes this team special going forward?

MARLEY WASHENITZ: Coach is very big on, like, fast and furious type of play, up-tempo. That's the player I am. I like the fast tempo. I'm an up beat, tempo type of player. Having that is very exciting.

Also the players we have this year, we're all pretty on the same page about that. We all want to play fast, score points. I know the past years we have struggled with that. I think that's really going to help us this year.

Q. Liatu, one of the players that's returning from last year's roster. After an incredible season last year, had some of your best numbers across the board, what made you say, I want to stay with Pitt and continue to build and see the change?

LIATU KING: Just hearing what Coach -- first hearing firsthand that Coach Verdi got the job, then having a conversation with him, seeing what his plans are for me, what his plans were for the women's basketball team as a whole.

After I had that conversation I was willing to buy into what his plans were for the couple months out.

Q. You're welcoming a total of eight newcomers this season, including five transfers. How does that work?

TORY VERDI: I told them, we all come from different ships, but we're all in the same boat now.

It is exciting. The one thing that I do know is that we have one main ingredient: they're all competitive and they want to win. The two beside me want to win. They're coachable and they're willing to do whatever it takes.

We show up. They show up each and every single day. They understand the undertaking they have. They're willing too to do it. They're invested.

When I took over this program, we talked about it at great length, if you don't have great culture, you will not win. I don't care how talented of players that you have in your program, if you don't have great culture, you're not going to win.

I think that part is there. Now it's just really developing the players that we have in the program and making them believe. The two next to me can play at a very high level and they're talented. I think they're going to surprise some folks here this year.

Q. You mentioned the word 'culture'. Building that culture, while many coaches say that's important, there's different ways in which you try to make that work. How do you establish your culture and what does that look like?

TORY VERDI: Well, I think the biggest thing is really developing rapport and relationships with every single player on your team. To me, I don't care if you're our best player or if you're number 12, it doesn't matter. I treat you the same way. I give you the same amount of time.

I care about each and every single one of our players. They need to feel that from me. But it's about developing those relationships with them, about developing that rapport. Them getting to know them, me getting to know them. Getting to know them off the court, which is the most important thing. That way I'm able to hold them accountable.

Who likes to be held accountable and who likes to be criticized and who likes to accept constructive criticism if you don't have a relationship with someone? If you don't have a relationship, you're going to become defensive.

My strategy and what I do, I think that our players feel that, is I care about them, whether they're good or whether they're bad. Yeah, they're not their best sometimes, but that doesn't mean I treat them differently.

If you're able to get there with your players, you're able to hold them accountable, you're able to push them and prod them and move them beyond barriers that they never thought they could go.

That's my strategy in all this. The last thing I want them all to do is throw up a wall, deflect or become defensive. I want them to accept the constructive criticism. If I can get them to accept that, they're only going to continue to get better on a daily basis.

Q. You kind of see things from different perspectives. As far as the reset button for this program, even what your role has to be to be the game changer, what does that look like for you?

MARLEY WASHENITZ: I think for me personally, the game changer for me would be to lead this team and to show 'em how to do it the right way, implement what Coach wants into the team. Us two being the captains, we're Coach's voice to the rest of the team. So just implementing what he wants, making sure that everything is done the way it's supposed to be done. Showing them that getting in the gym is only going to help you. You can never get in the gym too much. One off day, it's not going to kill you to get up shots for 30 minutes. Kind of showing and leading by example.

LIATU KING: To piggyback off of her, I'll just say leading by example. The team looks up to the both of us, so whatever we say they hold that to a great value. Maybe when it comes from Coach Verdi's voice they may not understand it or get it. I feel like when we say it or whatever, they start to understand it more. They take what we say to a great value, so...

Q. I have to go to this. I think with every team you can be very serious, which you need to be on the court. You mentioned knowing them off the court. I think that builds a rapport and chemistry and camaraderie of how you build off the court that is also a transition to what you do in the locker room. What are some things that you do fun that you think will transition in a good way or carry over?

MARLEY WASHENITZ: I think we all just kind of hang out. We all enjoy each other's company, whether it's we're hanging out because we have a recruit or because we are going to go -- like, yes, we have organized events we all hang out with each other for, but at the same time, we enjoy hanging out with each other. We are each other's sisters for the next four years. We value our relationships. Not to let them go to waste but cherish them and connect on a deeper level. Whether it's just making dinner together, get dinner, small things we do.

LIATU KING: I agree. She hit it on the nail. We go to Coach's house and we have fun there. We play games, eat food, have competitive games. There's a winner and a loser. It's fun, yeah.

TORY VERDI: No question about it. Those are probably the only games that I don't make them run after, the losers I should say, right (smiling)?

Q. Understanding being a program builder and changer, for you, what's the most important thing that contributes to that? For you, what is that philosophy like knowing how you can use your style to change a program?

TORY VERDI: I think the first thing that I look for is, like, toughness. You need toughness, you need discipline. You have to have a want to off the charts. I look for that.

I think the two players that are beside me right here exude that. You have to have that. But more importantly, you have to be connected and you all have to believe in what we're doing.

I can't do this by myself. It takes all of us. Not only does it take myself, my staff, our team, our administration, and those that come to The Pete each and every single day. It takes everyone.

We're excited about this opportunity that we have. I think we're making great strides and we're moving the program. I'm excited about the product that we're going to be putting on the floor, out on the floor, here in a couple weeks.

Q. I was looking at your schedule. You have George Mason; you're also going to be able to compete against Duquesne. What went into scheduling them for this season?

TORY VERDI: Well, they were actually already on the schedule. I know that. They have specifically told me they were happy that I left the A10. They're happy we're not playing each other again. Hopefully we'll have the same results, though.

Q. For you guys, each player, when you're saying you want to build each game... When you're looking forward to what this team can be, like if someone's watching you guys, what do you want them to see how you reflect in your play? What does that look like?

MARLEY WASHENITZ: I think we want people to come to our games and see we play the game the right way. We play hard, we play fast, we have fun. I think coach has definitely voiced that to a few times. A little scripted there. But he's definitely said that a few times. That's definitely what we want to do.

I think a lot of people kind of forget the having fun part. I don't think that you can play basketball the right way without having fun. I think at that point it just becomes a job and almost miserable.

So making sure we celebrate each other and having fun I think is definitely something I'm going to key in on. I'm a very vocal person. I celebrate everything. I'm going to continue to do that.

I think people are going to want to come to our games, and hopefully they leave saying they want to come to the next one because they had had fun watching us, whether we win or lose.

Q. Liatu, Coach can say I want you to have fun, then it gets crazy out on the floor. What does that look like in this scheme?

LIATU KING: Having fun is doing the small things, celebrating the small things, whether it's a made shot or your teammate just took a charge, and that was a game-changing charge. Celebrating the little things. Communicating. Stuff like that.

When you do the little things, it helps on the court. It helps you do positive things on the court. It translates to getting a stop on defense or scoring. Like, when you do those little things, ultimately you're going to have fun. You understand? You can't do the little things and those things not turn into something positive. It's kind of hand-to-hand.

Being big on doing the small things and talking and communicating, being there for your teammates, we talked about that one time in film, just being a good teammate, and everything else will fall in line.

Q. Coach, how did she do? Check all the boxes?

TORY VERDI: No question about it. I tell them this all the time. Just the other day we were watching film. They don't know this. I look at everything when I watch film. I look at the bench.

Liatu took the ball in our scrimmage, closed scrimmage the other day. She went end line to end line, made a move, scored it. The bench just jumped up. Everyone was excited.

To me, that's the most important thing. That's when you know you have your team and everyone is caring about one another. That to me is the most important thing.

Now making the basket, that's important (smiling). But to see everyone jump up and celebrate her successes, that's when you start growing as a team. That's when you become connected. We're getting there.

Q. What do you want people to know about this program this season?

TORY VERDI: That we're a program that's on the rise. Regardless of who our opponent is, they know that when they come into The Pete they're going to have their hands full. They're going to get a team that's ultra-aggressive. They're going to get a team that's well-prepared. They're going to be in a battle for 40 minutes.

THE MODERATOR: We look forward to seeing it. Thank you for your time.