Pitt Women’s Basketball All-ACC F Liatu King Enters Transfer Portal

Pitt women’s basketball senior forward Liatu King will leave the program and enter the transfer portal, Talia Goodman reported on Wednesday.

King excelled in Panthers head coach Tory Verdi‘s first year at the helm of the program. While she struggled with inconsistency under previous head coach Lance White, Verdi made her the focal point of the offense, allowing her to flourish, displaying her mid-range prowess and her strength in the paint on both sides of the court.

She scored 18.7 points and grabbed 10.3 rebounds per game, respectively, averaging a double-double per game. King finished 18 double-doubles this season, the most in program history, and the first Panther to average a double-double since Jennifer Bruce in the 1983-84 season.

King also made 1.8 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.8 assists per game, all career-highs, along with a sensational 52.3% shooting from the field, all career highs along with points and rebounding averages.

In the ACC, she ranked No. 2 in rebounds, No. 3 in blocks, No. 4 in field goal percentage, No. 5 in scoring and No. 7 in steals.

For her efforts, she earned All-ACC First Team and ACC Most Improved Player of the Year honors. 

Liatu King is the first Pitt player to ever win a major ACC award with her Most Improved Player of the Year honor. She is the second player to make it onto an All-ACC team, with former guard Briana Kiesel making it onto the All-ACC First-Team in 2015.

As a senior, her 329 rebounds was the most for a Pitt senior in program history, her 58 blocks second most and her 598 points third most.

King has one year left of college eligibility and will receive numerous suitors, who will look for her ability to excel on both sides of the floor with efficiency.

She is the third Pitt women’s basketball player to enter the transfer portal with fellow senior forward Gabby Hutcherson and junior forward Rapuluchi Ayodele doing the same on Tuesday. All three players walked on Senior Day.