Former Pitt guard Dayshanette Harris announced her decision to transfer to Clemson Sunday night on her Instagram.
Harris played for four years for the Panthers from 2019-22. She joined the program as a part of former head coach Lance White’s inaugural recruiting class, which included guard Emy Hayford and forwards Amber Brown and Cynthia Ezeja.
Pitt fired White in March for poor performance after five seasons as at the helm. White accrued a record of 42-99, the worst five-year stretch of any head coach in Panthers history. Athletic Director Heather Lyke found the new Pitt head coach in Tory Verdi, who has led Eastern Michigan and UMass from the bottom to the top of their conferences as head coach of those programs.
White’s departure meant that many players on his roster would look to find a new school to play basketball and nine players have put their name in the transfer portal.
Harris was one of those players and she becomes the third former Pitt player to find their new school for next season. Brown transferred to Big East school St. John’s for her final year and forward Maliyah Johnson made the move to Houston, who are starting their time in the Big 12 next season.
Harris played a big role for the Panthers over her past few seasons, as she served as primary point guard and at times, scorer.
She played 102 games for the Panthers, starting 74, and averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Harris shot 36.0% from the field, 28.2% from 3-point range and 70.5% from the foul line over her career, while also making 130 steals.
Harris made the All-ACC Freshman team for the 2019-20 season, as she led Pitt with 12.7 points per game, 79 assists and 53 steals. She is just one of two Pitt players to make the All-ACC Freshman team, with forward Brenna Wise making it for the 2015-16 season.
Her 2020-21 season saw her average 4.7 assists per game, the most for the Panthers since the program joined the ACC starting in the 2013-14 season.
Harris also became the fastest player in Pitt history to score at least 700 points, grab 250 rebounds and make 175 assists, doing so in just 60 games. She also finished her Pitt career wth 1,085 points, making her the 20th player to do so in program history.
There are currently only four returning players to Pitt next year, with three new players they’ve signed in the Class of 2023. The list below shows the players that have placed their name in the transfer portal and those that are staying for the next season.
Guard Avery Strickland is the only player who is still considering returning to Pitt out of the nine players that entered their name in the transfer portal.
Pitt Transfers
Guard
Graduate Dayshanette Harris: one year (Clemson)
Graduate Emy Hayford: one year
Graduate Destiny Strother: one year
Senior Sandrine Clesca: two years
Senior Taisha Exanor: two years
Sophomore Avery “Ace” Strickland: three years
Forward
Graduate forward Amber Brown: one year (St. John’s)
Redshirt senior Cynthia Ezeja: two years
Junior Maliyah Johnson: two years (Houston)
2023-24 Pitt Roster + eligibility
Guards
Sophomore Marley Washenitz: three years
Sophomore Aislin Malcolm: three years
First-year Jasmine Timmerson: four years
Forward
Senior Gabby Hutcherson: two years
Senior Liatu King: two years
First-year Hannah Mills-Watson: four years
First-year Lauren Rust: four years
