Lady Panthers Not Hesitating To Show They Belong
Coach Traci Waites Building A Winning Foundation
By Joanne Harrop

Basketball is about more than man-to-man defenses and running a fast break for Traci Waites.

"It's about the relationships I make with players," said Waites, the Pitt women's basketball coach. "I have former players who still call me, and when they are in town, they stop and see me. That's one of the reasons I love to coach. You have to love what you do, and be passionate about it, because if you don't then you shouldn't do it any more."

A love and passion for the game certainly are evident through watching Waites in action. When she's on the sidelines anyone can see that she lives and breathes basketball. It is not unusual for her to frantically pace in front of her bench, or stomp her feet on the floor when a referee makes a call against her Panthers.

Waites' desire and love of the game is probably why she has had success in just two years at Pitt.

Last season, Waites led the Panthers to their best record in five years and the school's first winning record since 1994-95. She also took the team to the Women's National Invitation Tournament last season. Pitt lost to Cincinnati in the first round.

Pitt was selected to finish 8th in the Big East Conference this season at the media day preseason poll. It also was announced that day that Pitt will be seen on live television Sun., Feb. 4 when the Panthers play host to Rutgers at noon. The game will be shown on Fox Sports Net New York, Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, Fox Sports Net New England and Fox Sports Net Florida. Pitt also will be on tape delay in a game at Syracuse on Time Warner Cable.

The television exposure will be good for the Panthers, who hope to better last year's 16-13 finish.

"I never set goals in terms of wins and losses," said Waites, who was named Co-Big East Coach of the Year last season. "We didn't do that last year or the year before that. I don't think we will ever do that. Our goal will always be to make a run at the tournament. The NCAA tournament is the ultimate goal. But it is kind of an unsaid goal."

If they are to reach that goal, the Panthers need to play more consistently.

They struggled at times early this season, winning four of their first seven and losing their conference opener, but Waites attributes that to her team being young. Despite returning three of four top scorers from last season, the Panthers lack experience. Only two players, sophomore forward Mandy Wittenmyer and senior guard Monique Toney, played a substantial number of minutes last season.

Six weeks into this season, Waites still was looking for three players to start along with Wittenmyer and Toney. In many games, Waites shuffled the lineup like a blackjack dealer in search of the perfect combination.

Waites better find the right mix soon, because competing in the Big East Conference will be no picnic. In fact, this season, Pitt plays a most grueling schedule. The Panthers play host to three of last year's Final Four teams. NCAA champion Connecticut, Rutgers and Penn State come to play at Fitzgerald Field House this season as does a solid Notre Dame squad that is one of the top-ranked teams in the nation.

"We have our work cut out for us this year with the schedule we have," Waites said. "One thing we will never compromise is our defense. We are always going to play hard on defense. Right now, we are trying to continue what we started last season. We had some success last year, and it took a lot of hard work to sustain and maintain it. We are a young team and it shows at times."

One of the things that hurt early in the season was having to play four consecutive road games at Kent State, Duquesne, Ohio and West Virginia.

"That road trip was hard with such a young basketball team because we are still learning," Waites said. "It's unfortunate, but they are doing as much as they can at this point. We are making some mistakes in that we aren't being patient on offense. We also have to pick up our defensive intensity."

Solid defense is one thing that is missing from the Panthers' attack this season. They also are struggling with the little things, such as missed assignments when subs come into the game.

"I need to be more patient with my players, too," Waites said. "I'm not making excuses, but they are still learning, and eventually we will get it together. We will be all right. It might not be tomorrow, but we will be all right."

Waites hopes to get her Panthers to where they can play at the level of teams such as national powers Connecticut and Tennessee. She understands that takes time and strong recruiting. By the end of this season she will have an entire team of players she recruited.

"I almost have my own team," Waites said. "Things are a little bit different now. My intensity level at practice isn't as high, because my players understand what I want from them. Sometimes, when we are doing drills in practice, one of my players will step in and do it for me. That means they understand what I want and need from them. You often recruit players such as yourself."

If that's true, then the Panthers aren't far from getting an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Waites played in the NCAA tournament each of her four years, and she went to two Final Fours. She is the only player to have appeared in the Final Four for two different teams, Georgia and Long Beach State.

At Long Beach, she was a two-time NCAA All-Region tournament selection and earned all-conference honors each season.

In college, Waites was awarded for her play on the court. At Pitt, she has been recognized for her coaching ability. Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson extended Waites' contract this year, although terms were not released. Pederson said he wants Waites to be part of the university when the John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center opens during the 2001-02 season. The 12,500-seat arena will be home to the men's and women's basketball teams.

"Right now when people believe in you, you have to go out and get the job done," Waites said. "We are going to do the best job we can. I have to be able to look back, and say we tried. I enjoy what I do. It's not every day that you get a chance to do the thing you love to do. I feel very blessed to be a coach. It was always my dream to be a head coach."

Joanne Harrop is a sports writer with the Tribue-Review, Pittsburgh.