“Control the controllables” is a solid mantra for any sports team. But greatness — especially in a conference as demanding as the ACC — requires more than that, and it’s fair to wonder whether Pitt Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tory Verdi recognizes it.
It’s a phrase that shows up in press conferences, team podcasts and postgame reflections. Focus on effort. Focus on the little things. Focus on what you can do possession by possession. In theory, it’s the right mindset for a rebuilding program. But as this season has unfolded, the question feels unavoidable — is that approach enough in Division 1 basketball?
Because effort has not been Pitt’s problem.
Watch this team for even a few minutes and their buy-in is obvious. Players sprint back on defense. They fight on the glass. They dig into passing lanes and try to make opponents uncomfortable. Verdi’s teams have an identity built around toughness — the kind that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. You can see it in the way Pitt tries to slow games down, in the way it defends when down by 20 points and in the way it pushes through long offensive possessions even when none of its shots are falling.
Yet, basketball is still a game where results matter and effort alone doesn’t close gaps or win games.
When the Panthers go cold, games slip away quickly. Missed open looks turn into fast-break points the other way, wide-open three-pointers go unpunished, and a single slow possession can snowball into a double-digit deficit. These are the moments where “control the controllables” runs into its limits, because the uncontrollable reality is that ACC opponents have more shooters, more creators and more ways to punish mistakes.
That’s where Pitt keeps getting stuck.
This roster is still searching for a consistent offensive rhythm. Too often, possessions end with late-clock shots instead of confident, by-the-play looks. There are flashes — a strong drive, a tough finish in the paint, a well-executed set — but sustaining that over four quarters has been a challenge. When defenses lock in and force Pitt to beat them one-on-one, the Panthers struggle to respond. That’s not about effort. That’s about skill development, spacing, timing, confidence and having the right players on the court who can create something from nothing when the play breaks down.
To Verdi’s credit, progress is visible. Pitt is more competitive than it was a few years ago, and the program is clearly trying to claw its way back. The Panthers are staying in games longer, trying to put themselves in positions to compete late instead of being buried by halftime. That effort matters. The culture matters. You cannot rebuild without it. But you also cannot drop a game to a Division III opponent like Scranton midseason and call that progress.
At some point, controlling the controllables has to evolve into changing them. Pitt needs to control tempo with confidence, not caution. Control possessions by scoring, not surviving them. Control games by forcing opponents to adjust, instead of always reacting and giving up second- chance points.
Right now, “control the controllables” feels like a survival strategy. And survival is not the same as progress. If Pitt women’s basketball wants to take the next step, they need to dictate games from start to finish, close out each possession and control the controllables.
Winning will require more.
The post Column | “Control the controllables” sounds great, but Pitt Women’s Basketball needs more than that to win appeared first on The Pitt News.