PITTSBURGH — Since the day she stepped foot on the University of Pittsburgh campus, Brenna Wise was seen as the face of the women's basketball program.

She speaks with uncommon eloquence and always wears a bright, welcoming smile.

And she was pretty darn good on the basketball court, too.

She arrived with a world of promise, an immediate impact player for a Pitt program eager to find one.

And the 6-foot forward from Cranberry Township delivered, averaging 12.5 points and seven rebounds in 61 career games — all starts.

But on Friday, Wise announced she would be pursuing a transfer from Pitt after two standout seasons.

“It was extremely difficult,” said Wise, who led the Panthers with 14.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. “I'd rather not get into the details, but I want to express my gratitude to Pitt.”

The move is a blow for the Panthers, who have struggled in the ACC.

Pitt was 13-17 overall and 4-12 in the conference this season.

The Panthers were 13-18 and 4-12 in Wise's freshman season.

Wise will have to sit out next season once she officially transfers. She will retain her two remaining years of eligibility.

She said she has no destination in mind as of yet.

“I got my release Tuesday,” Wise said. “I'm just starting the process.”

Wise said it will also be difficult to be away from the court next season.

“It's hard to tame me,” she said.

Wise was named to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2015-16 and earned all-ACC Academic honors in each of her two seasons.

“Brenna was a strong representative of the University of Pittsburgh and we wish her the best of luck as she pursues opportunities elsewhere,” said Pitt coach Suzie McConnell-Serio in a statement.

Wise wouldn't go into specifics about what prompted her decision to transfer.

“I would say I have a long list of goals I'd like to achieve,” she said, “some more in the present and some in the future.”

Wise was rated the 13th best small forward of the 2015 class by ESPN after a standout career at Vincentian Academy, where she was named PIAA player of the year twice and scored 2,331 points to go with more than 1,000 rebounds.

Wise made it a point to thank Pitt.

“I would like to thank the university for the opportunity that they provided me, both academically and athletically,” Wise said. “I'm excited to pursue my goals for the remainder of my college career and I wish the university, the women's basketball program and the Pitt community continued success.”